


April

by JDBeckett



Series: 365 Prompts [4]
Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-01
Updated: 2014-04-30
Packaged: 2018-03-22 09:07:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 39,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3723223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JDBeckett/pseuds/JDBeckett





	1. New Beginnings

The twins are walking room to room, discussing heatedly between themselves. I can only make out a few of their words so I assume they're mostly going on in Hindi with some English and French thrown in. They try but when they get excited they seem to forget the world around them exists and they just start talking in that one language they're most familiar with, the one and only language they knew before meeting any of us. 

I think it was a big faux pas of Zora to not teach them any other languages but I suppose it was her way of protecting them. I think it only hindered their ability to get close to anyone else (if just barely, they do so just fine, honestly).

I lost track of her, she's not as exuberant as her brothers in discovering a new home. She tries to trust us but it still is a very slow going process. Still, there is progress being made and I can appreciate that, like everyone else who will be living under this roof from now on.

This place is so peaceful, I don't have the constant, quiet murmur of those voices in my head now that we're not in a building full of people who actually project their thought without so much as a worry in the world. They don't understand that they're doing it and teaching them about it would be like teaching a newborn baby about chemistry.

The only thing I'm worried about however is Armin. The bracelet he's wearing, thanks to Lex, is going to help him with the voices, will keep them to murmur level and nothing else but I worry that he might just have himself a gift that's developing and something like this should never grow without supervision or someone to help along. It makes me think that his parents or grandparents might have been like us.

I've had long discussions about this with Lex when I came back from making sure the guy made it back to his apartment last time. We could invite him to live here with us, it would be quiet and I could teach him how to handle his gift, it would make me feel better. But we're also a little afraid that once he gains some confidence and does realize that we're not humans, he might freak out. I don't know, he doesn't seem the type. I'm just afraid that over time his body will grow used to the bracelet and the effects will become weak and useless and he'll go back to going nearly crazy from all the voices he can't block out.

He's a special sort of case and I'm just not sure what to do about it. I don't know what his lifespan will be like. If we bring him in, will we eventually have to bring him to our world, when this one goes to shit? I really don't know about the lifespans of diluted blood like his. We still need to talk these details out, Lex and me but we'll have to reach a decision. I could go over and teach the guy but I don't think that would really work out.

  


"HUGE!" There goes Mira, eyes wide, looking again from one room to the other in the apartment they decided might be best for them. None of the apartments in the building are built in the same way. They all have the same, or so, number of rooms that can be used as bedrooms but the setup and layout is different. They picked an apartment on the second floor with view out back where several containers are waiting. Lex told me it was his final project to add to the building, I don't have any more details and I didn't ask for more.

Agni, tagging not far from his brother, his eyes just as wide, looks into one of the rooms that could serve as a bedroom, he studies it a moment as if to make sure it really is there. The walls all have been painted mostly soft sort of colours and we did tell them all that if they wanted different colours it could be done, it's not much an issue. He turns his gaze to me, I'm just standing in the hallway, amused more than anything else while Lex is upstairs, putting things here and there, mostly settling Adela in her new home.

"Room me?" At least he still has the sense to talk to me in French and it amuses me. His excitement is contagious really, it almost makes me forget my worries. I can my head, look the room over and I chuckle. I suppose it's a good choice, the walls are sort of forest-green. We didn't dare paint one of the bedrooms red, we thought it might have been a bit too aggressive a colour.

"If you want this room, it can be yours, yes."

He goes thoughtful again, his lips dip down into a very slight frown. I'm a little surprised, I thought it would please him to have a room like this.

"Mira sleep here too?" He still doesn't sound too certain, he honestly sounds a little concerned. I guess they're so used to sharing one bedroom that this might be a bit too different too quickly, I hadn't really stopped to think about that.

I walk to his side, looking the room over, the large bed, the thick comforter. It's a beautiful room as far as I'm concerned but I can understand that he might not feel comfortable alone just yet.

"Well, you both have your own rooms now, you don't have to share a bedroom but I'm sure we could get two beds in a single room if you wanted?" 

His eyes light up somewhat and, as I was mostly expecting it, he latches onto me in a hug. I hug him back, mussing his hair gently. Some things just move too quickly for others. I guess they did spend all of their lives sleeping in the same room. It's just one of those details I hadn't thought about. Some change comes too quickly.

"Share bed, not other bed move!"

It's my turn to blink at him, I think this one over and I have to shrug it off really. What harm can it do if they share a bed at this point? They're brothers, they grew up this way, if they're comfortable still with that idea, while in a brand new place, I can't fault them. Anything after that they can discuss with their sister.

"Sure, if you two want to sleep in one room and share one of the big beds that's fine too. Until you're comfortable in your new home and then you both can each have your room eventually." He finally releases me and he trots off, happy with his own little life, to find his brother.

  


When I walk up to our floor, I can already smell the just barely scented candles burning. Lex tends to do this in new places, it's his way of marking his territory. When I bring it up to him he tends to just stare at me, roll his eyes and snort. I know it amuses him really. It's just something he's grown into the habit of doing. He likes certain scents more than others and he likes his little four-walled-in world to have that scent if he can help it.

"I was thinking about Armin again. I'm honestly worried that if he does have demon blood in him, the bracelet might just not keep it out. If it was schizophrenia, my touch alone wouldn't really have done him any good and he just started bawling when I touched him. I'm worried about the guy, Lex." It's better to bring this up sooner rather than later, the more we wait, the more—well I don't know.

He sighs, putting away the last of this box of book in the shelves we set up against one of the walls, this place is almost like a small library right now, I'd forgotten how much he reads. 

"We could have him live in one of the bottom floor apartments, you could work with him on it. I just don't want to have to do something about him if somehow he eventually freaks out when he realizes we're not humans like he's believed himself to be all of his life. Though if he's on the ground floor with everyone else currently on the second and top here like us, there's less chance of his discovering that yet." He has a point, it's one of my worries too.

"For now, how about we just finish unpacking what we brought and in the next couple of days you can go and have a talk with him about the idea of living in a place that's safer for his sanity?"

I sigh but nod. He has a point, we should unpack first, make sure everything is nice and right, set up properly and then worry about everything else. It's not as if we have that much unpacking to do. It was just a two-building-away kind of move. What could be moved without being boxed was and what couldn't was boxed.

It won't be long before we're unpacked and before I'm back to worrying about the poor guy we left behind.


	2. So Cold

The snow had melted, there wasn't even a hint of it anywhere anymore, the sun had been warm and comfortable and all of a sudden we're all hit with the snow storm from hell. No one seems to know where it came from. The weather folks are all baffled, it's like it just sort of happened. Swept in without warning and now there's at least a foot of snow outside and it still is falling. Electricity is out in most places around the country-side and in the city, it's cold everywhere.

We're all bundled up, wrapped in all the blankets we could find. The generator is running but it's mainly to keep Adela's room warm. She needs the heat, else we both know that she might just not make it through this storm. This would break Lex to pieces and we can't have that. I went downstairs to gather the other three up with us in the large family room, where the fireplace is sitting.

It wasn't hard to get it going and Agni was a wonderful help. I suppose that knowing a fire demon is a bit of an extra when there's no electricity and it's cold as butt outside. I admit I'm a little worried about Quentin and Yael but barely, we were over at their place last time the electricity went out and they have a fireplace the way we do. Every apartment has one but none of them but ours is currently stocked to be used. We hadn't thought there would be any need.

I just hope that we get the electricity back soon. I know we're all warm and toasty, just sipping hot drinks around the fireplace but there is one person I'm worried about and he's still in the old building we were in and I know that in that building, no electricity means no heat in any way.

I had planned just earlier in the day, before the storm hit, to head on over and talk to him about moving in here with us but the storm took us by surprise and essentially locked us in. I'm so worried about him though that I'm restless and Lex sighs, resting one hand over my shoulder. 

"Let's bundle you up real good, pack you up with an extra jacket in case he doesn't have the kind of clothes necessary, blanket and the rest and you can head on over and see if he needs anything. See if you can't get him to come here to warm up with us, yes?" I blink at him, startled. I'm the mind reader here, not him. Though I guess we've been going on about the guy for the past week so it's no surprise he'd know I was thinking about him.

"Explain to the other three while I'm going about no gift-using while he's around yet. Don't want to freak him out." He nods and we head towards the entry-way, the door that leads out into the half-hallway with the elevator. We have a huge wardrobe there with all sorts of boots and coats and scarfs, mittens, gloves and blankets. We bundle me up nice and secure, in a bag I sling over my shoulder a couple of thick blankets in case he doesn't want to come along and a large coat in case he does but doesn't have the right clothes.

"If nothing else and it keeps on, he can sleep in the guest room and we can get some wood down to the Zora and her brothers so they can keep warm in their own apartment." I nod, wrap a final scarf around my throat and nose and I step into the old fashioned elevator, the generator keeps it going, that and its light. The hallways are dark as hell right now so this is safer. I close the metal doors, grin slightly to myself and wave at him as I head on down to the first floor and then outside.

The air isn't so cold, the snow keeps it manageable as a temperature but it's being stuck inside a building without heat that makes it seem like it could freeze our toes off. 

I know Armin can't walk without his crutch and I'm half afraid that this walking through the thick snow might be an issue so I take my time to walk so I can create a sort of mock-passageway to hopefully make it easier for him. I really hope that he'll agree to come with. 

  


It takes me almost half an hour to create my pathway to make it to his building. Usually it would have taken me all of two minutes to walk from one doorway to the next. It's mostly my fault, I wanted to make sure he'd have an easier way back if I could help it. I take the stairs this time since it's all I can walk down and I cringe slightly at the realization that he'll have to walk them down. It's just one of those things that can't be helped.

I knock on his door and I listen to the silence. Eventually I hear some shuffling and he opens his door, wrapped in a blanket but clearly shivering. He looks surprised to see me and I can only smile at him, chuckling softly.

"I was worried about you. Don't ask why, I guess I just have a friendly soft spot for you." He blushes subtly and I feel my smile warm. He's adorable honestly.

"We have a large fireplace in our new home and a small generator for the elevator and I thought that maybe you'd like to be somewhere warmer while this blackout keeps up. We have food, we even have a guest room. If you'd want to bundle a few things I can carry them I don't mind. We'll have to use the stairs to get down here but that's the only downside. I walked us a mostly clear pathway through the snow." He doesn't look too sure so I push just a tiny bit more. "We could discuss the voices and their sources."

That seems to change his mind and he steps back to let me step in. His apartment is freezing cold honestly and I know a few of the apartments needed to have the windows fixed, they let in breezes. His must be one of them. It's out of my hands at this point, I can't do a thing.

I close the door and while I wish I could help him, I know it might not go well with him. I don't want him to think I see him as an infirm. I know he's strong so I let him wander through his apartment to gather a few things. When he comes back, all he has with him is a slight winter coat and I shake my head. I dig through my bag and bring out the thicker coat I'd packed up. He blinks up at me and I only offer a sheepish smile.

"I thought maybe you weren't really dressed for the season and that kind of storm, so Lex decided we needed to pack up an extra coat. I'll let you put that on while I see about putting your things in with mine. You'll need all your wits and strength about you to get you back through the snow and into our building.

It takes nearly half an hour for us to finish wrapping him up in the jacket, the scarf, the gloves. To set up his crutch so it would be comfortable with the jacket. We make our way slowly down the stairs, stopping at interval so he doesn't struggle too much.

The walk outside doesn't take as long as I had feared, then gain with the trench I'd made in the snow it's easier than it could have otherwise been. Still he's exhausted by the time we step up into our building and I have to remind him that it's just a few paces more. That it's up the elevator this time and once he's inside he can just sit on the couch and rest for a while.

I tell him about our guests, that they do have extra energy and he might have met them before. He seems to be fine with the information. We go up into the elevator and into the almost warm apartment that is mine and Lex's new home. We unbundle him carefully, wrap him up in a blanket and he settles on one of the seaters not far from the fire. The twins leave him alone for the time being though I can tell they're curious.

After he's had some rest, I know they'll ask plenty of questions and that's fine. For now, we all warm up.


	3. Punk Rocker

I guess this is a phase, like most things in life. Then again, some phases turn into life-choices and I have nothing against that. The kind of music just surprises me a little though I shouldn't be. They've only ever heard what could be heard on the street before. Now they have a radio and they've taken up the habit of switching from one channel to the next on really quiet days. Most days are quiet days.

Personally, I've always preferred the music I could hear playing while I grew up but I know that they were too young when the massacre happened, when our whole loves were flung out into the wind, to really remember that kind of music. So when they get their music up, I either plug in some headphones to listen to mine or I just focus on something else.

They don't listen to it loudly, it's just different to hear music at all after those few weeks in the other apartment and before that the street. I admit I'm getting used to this idea that this little bit of safety off the street is mine with no true strings attached. I do want to believe. I even found a job, it's just a few slight hours a week but it is money. Money is a necessity in life though personally I believe that if we could all work out on sharing the loads, sharing the food and everything else, things might just be simpler.

  


I'm not sure what kind of music it is they've discovered today, it might be punk rock from what little I know of music styles but it has been an almost on-repeat style since the early morning when I was startled out of a rather comfortable and warm sleep. I'm half lazy, I'm aware, I like to stay nestled up in bed where it's comfortable and warm and all. The boys are early risers, old habits die hard. I guess I adapt to safety a tiny bit easier than them. I've known otherwise, they haven't really.

I tried blocking it out when I first woke up but I found out that they had the music on a little louder than usual so it was useless to try to just roll over and ignore it. I got up, dressed and looked in on them, reminding them that everything in life had a volume cap and it wasn't pleasant when that cap was ignored. They looked sheepish, lowered the volume to a more comfortable level and I let them be, wandering off to the kitchen to see about getting some food prepared for us.

It's strange, this ability to be able to actually prepare food this way again. After years of begging for money and then buying something that had enough in it for us three to share. I wasn't that old when I had to run with the twins but I hadn't really been cooking long. The women in the family prided themselves in their cooking skills and sadly I had been the one black sheep of the family where I just didn't care to learn, so I started the process much later than anyone else ever had.

I'd like to think I can manage a meal well enough, so long as it's nothing overly complicated. In time I might learn and better myself but so far, no one has complained about the food I've been serving these past few days.

  


Suddenly the music goes quiet and I blink in surprise. This isn't usual from their habit, they like having a little bit of noise (music, I know) around, they're not used to the really quietness of this place. They used to chatter almost nonstop when they were in the other apartment to keep it from being too quiet.

I spy them trying to sneak past and I have to roll my eyes. 

"You two are not going to go down and bother him. He's not like us, you shouldn't even be near him. If he learns of what you are we might all be in trouble!" I call out to them in Hindi, since it still is the language they understand best. I know I'm being harsh, I don't understand why Eoghan brought him here at all. He's different from us, though he might be a demon and I wouldn't know but during the blackout, Alexis had told us that whatever his name is (I honestly can't remember) was different, that we had to keep our gifts to ourselves. Eoghan said this building would be for us gifted who needed a roof, so I really, just really don't get it.

My brothers complain, whine and huff at being told that their plans had just been cancelled. They backtrack and come back into the kitchen, pouting all the way before they settle into their chair. I don't know why they're so fascinated with him. I suppose it might be his crutch. It's not the first time we've seem someone who was lame this way though they've always been curious to know more an understand the reason behind that lameness.

I'm just trying to protect them still. It's all I've done in all those years and I don't warm harm to befall them again. I let it happen once with the other man and I don't even want to think about that ever again. They seem to have forgotten that utterly and that's all that matters. All I want is their safety.

  


After breakfast I shoo them back into their room, reminding them that they had mock-homework. Alexis and Eoghan lend them books and Eoghan once a week or so, I guess it depends on how busy he is, tends to quiz them. It's usually over the dinner we all share. We might just be sharing that dinner up on the top floor starting from now, they have the room. Though I guess maybe they'll alternate from up there to the other building just the same. I don't know.

They huff and complain again but I shake my head. I know they're curious about the world, I know they just want to learn more and experience more. I also know that it's more or less my fault that they're now trying to learn these languages to try to manage a better life. So they can get around without always the need to have someone at their sides to translate. I should have taught them the language but I was terrified that once they knew enough they'd leave me side, go off to I don't know where and I might never see them again.

After all the struggles I'd had to keep them safe and fed and the rest, I didn't want this to happen. It was selfish and I know this. I can't go back and change things however. If I could I would go back even further, back to the massacre that took our family and I would do all I can to prevent it.

Time cannot be turned back. Lives cannot be saved this way. I have to go on, move forward and just do my best to live the life I have now. It's all I have and while I might have more in time, this is a good sort of start. I can't ask for more just yet.


	4. First Love

"Andoni is the first man who ever looked at me without seeing my crutch, without seeing my disability. His parents never liked me and blamed me for his death when he was hit by a car that just kept on going. I wasn't with him when it happened and the errand he was running had nothing to do with me. They never let me see him in the hospital and they wouldn't let me come to the funeral." I murmur the words, feeling my heart break a little all over again as I try not to relive the moments. I had told him I loved him right before he went out and I can feel a small bit of peace from that but that is the last time I ever saw him.

Eoghan offers the hint of a smile and reaches out to touch my hand lightly. I don't pull back. I have a hard time wrapping my head around this new apartment. He said I would be safer here, it would be quieter but that he would be working with me on helping me gain control of whatever it is that lets the voices come in.

"I know this is painful to go through, Armin, but I need to know what big parts of your life were painful like this. Usually there's always a trigger to this kind of thing. It will trigger the trouble into awareness. For some people, one trigger is all they need and their lives are ruined by those voices, in other cases, like yours I think there was one trigger to pull your gift, as it is a gift in a way though not so much until you can control it, to the surface though it was still mostly dormant and it took another trigger, me more than likely and I apologize for this, to get it going."

He already explained to me that he has a gift, that it took him a long time to work on controlling it but he had no one to help him learn. That's why he's wanting to help me. It was a long, complicated explication but I think I managed to wrap my mind around it well enough. When I lost Andoni, my heart was absolutely broken, he was my first and only love, the only person who never looked at me with disgust. Something in me woke, he said it might have come from my grandparents or my great-grand parent, because if it had come from my parents I would have had this 'gift' from birth.

When he touched me, Eoghan that is, he said that similar gifts tend to call to one another, so when he walked me back to my apartment after I'd gotten lost in the woods, it woke me gift up from its dormant side. I suppose it makes sense in a really crazy way. Then again I've seen crazier things in my life before so it's not all that out there. I'm just not about to go yelling on rooftops about this. Not that I could make it to many rooftops even if I wanted to.

"I think," he starts again, pulling me slightly away from the daze of thinking about Andoni, "that we'll manage to get you to control this well enough. I'm sorry I brought up what is most likely the most painful memory you have to date. It's not right that they've kept you from seeing him during his last moments or at the funerals. You had every right. Though not everyone is as open as I am about this."

He squeezes my hand again. Right this very moment, I'm just glad for his presence. I've gotten used to the murmurs in my mind it's much better than the almost yelling that was going. With his touching me however, it's pure, perfect silence, the way my head used to be before. 

Do I blame him for what happened to me? Not really. It could have been just about anyone else touching me and starting up these voices in my head. At least with him I know that I can try to learn to control it. What I'm afraid of is that somehow this controlling thing will require more focus than I can absolutely share with my job and the rest of my life. I don't want that. I want to keep on working at the library.

  


We spend some hours just talking, moving on from the painful memories of my past to my current, day to day life. We talk about my job, about what I like and what I don't, the way I handle certain things and others not so well. I guess we're essentially getting 'me' on the table and learning more about me. I'm not sure what that has to do with helping me control my gift but it feels nice to be able to talk to someone like this without feeling like he's trying to get this done as soon as possible to be able to get away from me quickly.

"A lot of people seem to think that I might be contagious." I laugh briefly, it's a bitter sort of laugh, this is something that never changes, I can't adapt to that trail of thought, it hurts to know that people are afraid I might somehow change them. "It's in how they look at me, it's how they act around me, avoid touching me at all costs. I guess that's why I felt so lucky and cherished when I had Andoni with me. He treated me like a human being, like everyone else."

He keeps on coming back to the subject but I feel no true pain from this discussion now. I'm just talking about the man I loved, still love to this day, about the man who, I believe, loved me with all his heart. I'm not talking about how I lost him so I'm more focused on the positive than the pain of the loss of him.

"Some people in this world, Armin, are gifted. There aren't a lot of us, a lot of them. Some have gifts that are more dangerous than others. At times, some people, Andoni could have been one of them really, have gifts that allow them to see beyond the physical aspect of someone. Though most of the time that gift is merely what we'd call understanding and love. I can see how much you love him, in the way you talk about him, the way your eyes soften when you speak his name. He was special to you, I can see this very clearly." He pauses and I'm trying to understand where he's going with this. I'm not sure I want him to go wherever it is he's heading for.

"I think, though, that his death did wake your gift but I also think and please don't misunderstand me, but I think that you are still hanging onto his ghost and it might be one of the reasons why your gift may be hard to control. I'm not saying you have to fling it all off into the past to forget about it all but I think you might have to finally move on."

I pull my hand away from his and he sighs, he honestly looks a little sad. He shakes his head and reaches for my hand again, he curls his fingers securely about it and while I want to pull away I don't. I feel my eyes grow wet at the idea of 'moving on' as he puts it.

"Armin, you are an absolutely amazing person. If I didn't have Alexis with me until the end of my time, I might just be willing to tell you that we could have something. I think there is someone out there who will be more than willing to love you. You just have to let them. If you keep on clinging to your old life for Andoni, I think you're closing a lot of doors and hanging onto demons. I can tell you're still aching over the loss, still aching and mostly angry that his family didn't let you see him. I think this is still eating away at you from the inside and it will keep you from controlling your gift. I've honestly been there, it isn't pleasant."

This isn't something I really want to think about. This isn't something I ever wanted to think about. His hand keeps all sounds out, all I hear is his voice, his words, what he's talking about. It's hard not to hear it all and focus on that. It's like everything else out there just melted away to oblivion.

I hiccup once as I feel tears begin to threaten to come down and I squeeze my eyes shut. I don't want to cry, not in front of him. I've done it before but it was for different reasons.

"It hurts. I don't want it to hurt anymore. I don't want to forget him, I don't want to lose him. He's all I ever had that was good in my life."

He squeezes my hand again. "He'll always be with you, Armin. You'll never really forget it though you do need to close that door. Let the hurt out."

  


I cried. I don't know how long I spent crying. All I really recall is Eoghan who actually helped me undress just enough to be comfortable and who tucked me in. I cried myself to sleep, I recall that. Right now, my heart aches. I just want to forget the world as a whole, I want to stay in this bed for a while and I want to just take one step today, then another the following day. I'll try to get better, to move on.


	5. Swing Set

The weather has warmed comfortably, recently. It has been more comfortable than ever, at least since the year began, to take walks, to just go around to see if we can't discover new things, new mock-worlds. We've been living in this city for years, so we know most, in a very general and vague sense, of what is about, what's around such and such corner and what's where. At times though, new boutiques or new buildings show up, at times seemingly out of nowhere for us because we hadn't been to that part of the city in some time.

There still is some snow on the ground but after the big storm, as if because mother nature had changed her mind and realized she hadn't meant to snow us in, we had several days of high heat where most of it melted away, leaving just enough to warrant still knowing we were at the edge of winter and spring.

Depending on the days and just how we fell, we take the twins with us. None of us are really aware of how much of the city they know about and we figure that walks in the warming weather to help them learn a bit more basic city-geography cannot hurt. Today we took the bus, headed almost to the other edge of the city. It had been some time since we'd last been there. The results of our walk turned out to be very different from what we had been expecting.

  


"I guess this place has more kids than it did before." His voice is quiet, thoughtful as he surveys the large playground. It had been there before when we last had come though it had been more a park than a playground. There had been no jungle gyms, no swing sets, no- well most of the playground had just been trees and greenery with some picnic tables. 

"Well, they do have a new school built up, that wasn't there two years ago when I was last here." A large school, I didn't really take note of its name when we walked past, it didn't seem overly important. Though by the equipment they had set up on the playground, I have to assume that it might be an elementary school at the very least.

We both watch the twins go up to the jungle gym, the swings, the seesaws. They touch everything, their eyes wide and filled with curiosity. It's so strange to look at these things. 

I feel my feet move me forward and I go with. I didn't have a chance to grow up like most kids do, at least how I assume most kids do. I know Quentin didn't either and I'm pretty sure the twins never saw this place either. I wonder if either Alexis or Eoghan had that kind of childhood. It seems unlikely for how old they both are. It leaves me wondering about Zora and their new strange resident but I'm sure the answer is the same for everyone, though maybe not Zora. She might have had something of a normal childhood before her life went to hell.

The twins are at the swings now, despite the mud holes settled beneath them. We can always wash up a bit before we go inside, take off all messy garments. I'm not really worried. We took them out on this walk so we could discover the world. If this is what they want to do, I won't stop them. They deserve to know what it feels like and I want to believe that this is a case of better late than never.

I look back to Quentin, he's by the teeter-totter, looking it over. He looks confused, I guess he's not sure what the point of it is and I laugh softly as I make my way over to him to try to explain it. I often saw kids in the bigger, better school not far from us in their playgrounds. I know what they are for, I've just never used them myself.

  


It is the rumble of our stomachs that pull us out of the playground and back on the brief walk. We spot a small quick-eating restaurant and buy ourselves sandwiches at the counter before we settle by the window to eat in companionable silence. It almost feels like we're family in a strange way. We're all together, just enjoying ourselves and appreciating the city and our walk.

Once we've eaten, we're back outside, it's still clear out, my watch claims it's somewhere near noon. We decide to just keep on walking along the street we were on for a while, see if we spot anything new. It's a beautiful day and a walk just for the sake of fresh air and discovery is beautiful.

The boys stop in front of an old book shop, their faces almost pressed to the glass and I laugh. They're adorable honestly. I don't really know how old they might be mentally, at times they seem mature for their age but most of the time, as they're discovering the world almost as a whole, they seem so much younger.

"Zora book!" Mira turns his eyes up to me as he offers the words.

I blink and look down to the point he's pointing at. It seems like an old sort of book but it might very well be in Hindi. I'm not sure what it is but if he wants to get something for his sister from this walk, I have no reason to complain. Quentin looks down at the book too and I see something almost twinkle in his eyes.

"It looks like that old fairytale book I have at home, one of the bones you got me for my birthday." I blink again as I try to compute this. We're in France, we're no where near India. I can understand that some old books get brought in by people whose family members have died and left behind things but this seems a bit far-fetched.

I shake my head and step inside with Mira, he picks up the book carefully and brings it to the counter where a kind old man doesn't even bat a lash at the strange look of him (it's not every day you see a young man with two-toned hairstyle that natural in a bookstore) and he wraps up the book carefully while I pay for it.

Mira hugs it almost fiercely to his chest as we step back outside. He looks pleased as can be. "Pay back soon."

I shake my head and chuckle at him softly. I don't know how he expects to pay me back since neither he or his brother work and I honestly don't mind. We took them out on this walk so this is just natural for me.

  


The sun is low on the horizon when we make it back to our buildings, when the bus drops us off. We watched the twins head up to their door, Mira still clinging securely to his book. I'm sure it will make Zora happy. It's something they got for her, maybe they'll ask her to read some for them.

I tug Quentin back inside to our own home. Today has been a good day, filled with little discoveries and interesting finds. The food we had was simple but filling, it tasted delicious just the same. My legs ache a little from the long walk but I take that for a good sort of ache.

Once we leave our coats behind and make sure Areli and Lavi have enough food in their bowl, we just head off straight towards the pool. This is routine. Unless we have anything else planned, we tend to slip into the pool after long walks, it helps us relax and it just feels wonderful. We swim for a while, then settle on the floating mattress where I admit we tend to drift off for a while. We're usually woken up by hunger.

I think it's a good sort of routine, honestly.


	6. Haunted

I'm still hearing things. Eoghan comes by every other day and we talk. He works me through exercises that are meant to strength my mind.

At first I honestly thought he was a little crazy, I was sure none of what we were doing was helping. It might have just shown on my face or I suppose he could see it in my thoughts since he's like that too. Earlier today, just before he left to go back upstairs to his own apartment, he told me to take the bracelet off. I panicked. His eyes softened and he laughed softly, resting his hand on mine.

"Just for a minute to show you that what we're doing isn't just for show." He'd said.

I tried to calm my wildly beating heart down and I closed my eyes, breathing in and out slowly for a few heartbeats until I did feel myself somewhat calmer. He had told me to never take it off until he told me I could, I suppose this is just one of these times. I've grown so used to wearing it though that it's strange to think I'm taking it off like this.

It took a moment of fussing to be able to get it off my wrist. I was terrified that the voices would all attack me at once. His fingers never left mine while I took the bracelet off, it's what let me actually get it off. Else I would have kept on being too shaky to manage.

"Now, focus a little, think and imagine yourself closing the windows inside your mind the way I've shown you. I'll be pulling my hand back." His words had been calm, soothing and I kept my eyes closed, trying to imagine myself closing windows in my head. It felt foolish. He slowly pulled his hand away and I gasped in terror as voices swarmed in my mind.

"Close the windows." His only comment still at that point as I tried a bit harder, I pictured myself closing one window and locking it. The voices grew slightly softer. I went around my head, closing window after window. When I was done, the voices were quiet again, still there, but almost murmur soft as they are with the bracelet. The issue was that whenever I stopped picturing those closed windows, the voices blasted in. 

He rested his hand on mine again and I sagged with a frustrated noise, almost a soft sob. I felt so weak just then, I couldn't help it. The bracelet was put back on and he just smiled at me. 

"It's all brand you for you, Armin. That's why it's so hard. But if you practice a little every day, you will get stronger. Corny as it is, the saying that Rome wasn't built in one day is true."

I laughed then and he reached over, actually kissed my forehead and went back to his place.

  


He makes me feel warm, wanted really. It has been years since anyone has been anything but professionally cool in my presence at most. I find myself crying away at night before I fall asleep. I'm swarming with little bits of happiness at knowing I might not be a complete loser, there might be someone out there who can care for me in some way, even if just as a friend.

Lately though, I've been telling myself that these murmurs I still hear in my head are ghosts. It makes it easier to accept right now. I know I'm lying to myself but I don't care. I have my own ways of accepting things and it's easier to start to accept these voices if I believe they're otherworldly, at first.

Long story short, I tell myself I'm haunted.

It honestly amuses me and it keeps me from a breakdown I know could be right around the corner if I didn't try to accept everything with a little bit of a grain of salt. It just makes it all easier.

So I'm haunted. I have ghosts up in my head and it actually makes me smile a little bit. At times, when it will be quiet and work isn't the foremost thought on my mind, I'll close my eyes and try to focus on what's going on in my head. The murmurs are so soft that it's not all that easy but I'd like to believe that this focusing thing to try to pay attention to only one of the many murmurs in my mind might help me grow stronger.

Yesterday, one of these voices was going on about needing bread and milk and cereals and a bunch of other foodstuffs. I laughed, I laughed so hard I actually fell out of my couch. I couldn't handle the thought of a ghost needing to buy groceries, it amused me a lot more than it should have. I think it's good though, I need laughter in my life, even if it's from finding these things absolutely ridiculous. There's no reason not to laugh at life, after all. It had been some years since I last had.

  


I know Eoghan said I shouldn't take the bracelet off unless he tells me to but I do want to practice the windows. I have nothing else to do with my time. I know that if I'm just holding onto the bracelet, it doesn't work. It really has to encircle my wrist, as if it needed a direct, inner connection to my veins, to my pulse, my heart. I don't know how it works, I'm not about to ask, I just know that it works.

I settle on my bed, a new bed that they got for me and I feel indebted for it. My old one was falling apart, this one is so comfortable I nearly instantly fall asleep the moment I fall into it (that and the steam shower, I feel my joints are so much less painful now, it's wonderful!). I look down at my bracelet, I squirm a bit to nestle along the pile of decorative pillows and I carefully pull it off. I cling to it with my second hand and I close my eyes. I focus on closing the windows through the loud chorus of voices.

They're not as loud as they were in the old apartment. I don't know if it's because I'm just barely further away from civilization, blocked away from it by two blocks, two buildings where only seven other people in all live. Maybe. Eoghan says that an untrained mind can extend very far but still has its limits. Move someone into the middle of the desert with no one around for miles and the mind will be quiet. A trained mind can reach further but doesn't need as much protection from the voices.

I can hold the windows closed for a few moments but I feel as if there's always one slipping past my watch and breaking open. After a few minutes, when I begin to feel my head pounding, I slip the bracelet back over my wrist and I sag even more against my pillows.

Practice. It's all I need. It will take a lot of time, he says, but if I'm good and I practice well, I'll make progress in the right direction and it's all we're after just now.


	7. Odd Jobs

The house is quiet, most of the lights are dark. In his room, Yael stares at his computer screen with a bit of a confused look. He just received an email from one of his recent customers and he's not sure what to make of it. It's rare that he turns his back on commissions, small, odd jobs like these usually help with money, not that he really needs it. His bigger pieces are selling well.

He shakes his head, pinches the bridge of his nose light and looks the screen over again. In his mind, he goes over all he's drawn and painted since he opened up his page to the public. This is something he never has done before, not even with Quentin. He's not sure how well he would manage, if at all.

"Quentin, can I have a minute of your time?" He calls out to his lover quietly, still looking the words printed on his screen. This client is suspiciously detailed on what they want. Yael doesn't even know where they might have even gotten the idea that he could paint such a thing to begin with. He has nothing that hinted anywhere on his site or his previews that he did adult art in any way.

Quentin looks in from the hallway, leaning briefly against the door frame. He rubs sleep from his eyes and yawns before he steps in, arms stretched high above his head. Yael was up before him again though this isn't unusual. The artist usually is up before him, especially now that they've mostly settled on a day-time schedule. Yael tends to get up with the sun, to appreciate its beauty and colours.

"This client I was telling you about, the one who wanted character references for this roleplaying thing he's doing? He sent me another email." It was the only use he had for his computer. To discuss with clients, to put up previews online, to check his commissions. All his work was otherwise done by hand, he didn't like using the computer for art purposes yet, maybe one day.

Looking over Yael's shoulder, Quentin squints a bit to read the email. Yael shakes his head and mutters softly about how perverts seem to find their way everywhere in this day and time.

"I have nothing anywhere that states I might be open for adult images, let alone something that, explained the way he put it, sounds like it would be flat our porn. I don't do porn!" He's not so much outraged as he's uncomfortable. He really cannot understand how anyone would believe he might draw this kind of thing.

Chuckling softly, Quentin shrugs lightly and nuzzles the top of Yael's head. "Maybe it's a shot in the dark. Maybe he's hoping you'll do it even though it's not written anywhere that you wouldn't."

He pauses however and stretches again slightly, something pops in his back and he groans softly. "Though I guess in a way he might have a point, you don't have anything written anywhere stating that there are some things you don't do. Your page more or less states 'will paint or draw for a fee'."

Yael frowns, hand on his mouse to click the email shut and marks it as unread for the time being so as to not forget about it. He minimizes the window for the email program and looks quietly over his page. He sighs and sags back into his seat and Quentin merely moves forward to hug him.

"Lex is an attorney, or has been a few times in his life, maybe you should talk to him about setting up a disclaimer of sorts and he'd probably be the best person out there to help you with it." His words are quiet, thoughtful as he releases his lover, pecks his cheek and slips out of the warm studio to head into the kitchen to see about preparing something to nibble on.

  


The air outside is warm, the sun is hot but the breeze of almost-spring still is in the air. Yael bundles up slightly, a light scarf to his neck and one of his mid-season jacket. He walks down to the new warehouse, briefly stops outside to admire the beauty of the building now that it is all fixed up and then moves towards steps slow but steady. He steps inside, looks down the long hallway between the apartments before he turns to his left to the stairs. He could have turned right for the elevator but he doesn't much care for moving boxes if he can help himself.

At the top of the stairs, on the third floor, he carefully knocks on the door. He doesn't wear a watch but knows that it's almost mid-morning by now and hopes that he's not interrupting. Some of the most embarrassing moments in his life are when he's interrupted people while they were busy doing things he was personally not ready to do yet. Things like those described in his commission request.

Eoghan is the one to open the door, he blinks at the sight of his friend but smiles warmly. He is dressed, in full suit and tie and while Yael feels a need to ask why, he doesn't. 

"I hope I'm not disturbing you, I was hoping to be able to talk to Alexis about something? Quentin brought up the whole attorney thing this morning as we were looking at a commission request I received. It goes into the realms of things I'm really not comfortable with and I guess we thought that Alexis might be my best shot at making sure my site is clear and proper and whatnot about what I do and don't, disclaimers and all."

He pauses, opens his mouth as if to add more then shrugs and closes his mouth with a sheepish sort of smile. It didn't sound as smart an idea once uttered aloud. Still he was there now and he couldn't really just turn his back though he felt a little bit foolish, it was a strange sort of sensation.

"Come in, he should be out of the shower soon and I'm sure he'll be happy to help you clear these things up." Eoghan laughs softly as Yael blushes, more than likely at the mention of the shower. He knows how the sight of his lover, half-dressed, can be rather blush inducing. "Plus, you get him all to yourself today, I have an appointment with someone for business. You two play nice, you hear? Don't dirty the apartment!"

Yael's eyes almost bug out as he blushes all the deeper. He screws his eyes shut and shakes his head. "You're terrible, Eoghan!"

"You adore me for it, kiddo. If you're hungry, there's plenty in the fridge." Snickering, Eoghan gently ushers Yael into the living space and he steps out, closing the door before Yael can say anything else. He really is easy enough to tease and Eoghan never means any harm by it. 

  


Yael is settled on one of the plush couches when Alexis steps out of the shower, a pair of pants hanging low over his hips. Yael tries to not stare and he mostly manages though not without a glimpse at the other's well sculpted body. Alexis quirks a brow at his visitor and laughs softly before disappearing into his bedroom to put on a shirt. He knows they will not be able to have a proper, meaningful conversation if he doesn't.

Once he's back out and into the living room, he settles in the seater next to his guest and cants his head. He hadn't been expecting any visits, after all.

Yael tells him what he's told Eoghan, he adds in a few details he had skipped, about what the commission was about and why he isn't comfortable with it. He talks about how he figures that if he gets things done properly and in the way the law might see as 'right', he could turn clients down without feeling as if he might just be playing favourites or something.

Before long the computer is out on the low table and they are discussing all the finer details of a disclaimer that will be put up. It isn't a complicated sort of work, just one that requires some finer details Yael wasn't quite ready to work out by himself.

He really has no issues with small odd jobs that only require a few moments up to a couple hours of his time, the way those odd jobs come up, however, and what they are about, is something else entirely.


	8. Cooking

The twins are talking together not far off, just a few paces away, they're more than likely in the living room. They're soft spoken. They've matured to a point over the past few weeks though they still have their energetic moments. I'm just glad that they're adjusting so well to this new life.

The kitchen is still my domain at this point though they will have to learn how to prepare meals for themselves before too long. I'm sure they will learn quickly enough. I did get them several easy cooking books, in all languages they speak so I know that if they don't understand one recipe in one language, they can try another in a different one.

I'm looking forward to them learning this new skill. It's out of necessity at this point since I'm just days from starting a new job. I'm still not even sure how I really got it, I have no résumé and no experience in life at all when it comes to working (one month in a job does not convert to proper experience).

It's a small job in a quiet little boutique, one of those holes-in-the-wall places. It's an old place, it was dusty when I went in but quiet. There had been a sign out in the window about how they were looking for someone to cover the day shift so I went in. I had nothing with me, just myself and that's it. The old man was all smiles and I guess I might have gotten the job because I'm pretty or something but he said he felt he could trust me. It felt good.

When we moved into this apartment, we still were nobodies. No paperwork done ever, we essentially didn't exist. Alexis came by a few days after we'd settled in to drop down some cards for us. Birth certificates (I have no idea how he managed these), social security numbers, the whole deal. I don't know what he expects in turn though he said he only did it because he knew we needed these.

  


"Agni, Mira! Time for today's lesson!" I try to teach them some of the basic cooking skills I know. One a day usually so that when I start working they won't be working with no experience whatsoever. I want them to have a slight sort of base so they don't burn this place down. I wish I could ask for help from the guys above but they already do more for us than I'm comfortable with so this I work out on my own. It's not the first time in my life I have to do something new and it's not the last.

The boys stall before coming into the kitchen. Agni huffing and looking as if I'd just interrupted their fun and Mira rubbing his eyes, as if he'd been sleeping. That seems slightly unlikely as I know I was hearing them talking together.

I cross my arms, brow quirked as I wait for them to come stand at my side. They've been a little reluctant to touch anything in the kitchen, it's all so brand new. That and last time, a few years back when we were in a shelter, their curiosity had taken them into the kitchen and they'd indeed started a fire. It had been an accident but it left something of a scar, in the end. I don't really blame them for that. They still need to learn.

"Come now, we all know this is safe as can be and what I'm teaching you today requires little to no fire, no worries, all right?" Well, it's true, the only thing we'll be using today is the microwave. I figure it's safer than the oven just now, though the oven would warm up the apartment a little more.

I pull out the book of recipes in Hindi and I find the page I'd set my heart on. It's a simple oatmeal recipe. I'm aware this could be done on the stovetop but I'd prefer for them to be comfortable with the microwave first. I set the book out, page open and marked and I step back. They need to learn on their own. They know they can ask me questions but I won't do the preparations for them.

  


With warm, delicious oatmeal for breakfast, we've all settled around the table. The boys look surprised that their meal is edible and that nothing has exploded. I congratulate them on a job well done and I can't help the soft, lightly amused chuckle. I know they're fearful but they'll learn. It's one day after the other. Plus, if they're really uncomfortable with the idea of cooking while I'm at work, they can always make themselves some sandwiches, there's nothing wrong with eating fresh bread with tomatoes, lettuce and cold cuts. We even have some of that pre-cooked bacon thing, it goes in the microwave. BLTs are good for the souls.

We eat in silence, the boys eating slow, as if wanting to taste every last bit of the food they prepared to make sure they didn't somehow muck up. All of it is delicious and their bowls are nearly licked clean once breakfast is done and over with. 

Together, we wash the dishes and set them away. I know we have a dishwasher but I don't really see the point to using it just yet. We don't dirty enough dishes at once to really require the dishwasher and washing by hand is an old family habit. We used to wash all the dishes by hand back home. It brings back sweet memories for me. The twins were too young to recall those times.

  


As they prepare to head somewhere else in the building, I remind me brothers that they're not supposed to bother the man downstairs and that if they go upstairs and they're told that now is currently not the time, they need to come back. I remind them that they can also, if they feel like it, head back down to the other building with Yael and Quentin whose pool is open. The one on the roof isn't ready yet though Eoghan says it will be soon.

There is a whole world out there for us still to discover, every day is a new sort of day with new experiences and new things to learn. I know I can't keep my brothers on a leash forever. It's just hard to let them go when I've had to protect them and keep them safe for years now. Old habits do die hard.

I'm doing my best, I live one day after the other, I lessen my control over them a little bit more every day. It's hard but I know it's a necessity. I want to believe that we're safe in this place, that no real hurt can come our way. I just want an almost normal life. As normal a life one can have when they're so different from the rest of the world that they have to hide part of themselves because of it.

I know it's mostly possible, I just have to look at Alexis who has been alive for I don't know how many years at this point. It's just a matter of slowly heading in the right direction.


	9. A Promise

"Forever."

The word is simple but the meaning so deep, there is no escaping that kind of word, even if you think you might somehow sweep it under the rug to hide it away. This word, spoken as a promise to me when things still were going well, had filled me with warmth and love. Had filled me to the brim and near to exploding with happiness.

Some forevers are just cut shorter than others, there is no helping it or stopping it. My forever was taken away from me by a hit and run who never looked back. Just sped up and drove away. That kind of word, I'd had had some time to get used to it though it was always fresh on my mind. Now I know I will more than likely never get it back. I think that those who might accept me and love me so openly as he did are rare and I'd just found my one, now he's no more and I've tried my best to not let that weigh me down too much. 

It's been a very difficult battle, one I nearly lost several times but still I've walked on, kept going until I met walls, when I came to those, I thought of the best ways to overcome them. It puts me to where I am now, working my best to move on, to let him be in peace as well. I've finally archived the last phone message I ever received from him. All of his things I've put in boxes, now I just need to decide on what I'll do with these boxes. The idea honestly scares me a little. I know I need to grow stronger, this is just very painful a step to take.

I'll manage, I know I will, I might just need a little bit of time to make sure I can handle the idea of putting him, finally, to the back of my mind. Never completely out of my heart, this is something I can't do but I can move on.

I think.

~

I love my brother. Not in any way that might seen as wrong by this society and even if I did that I would not stop. He's my brother, he's half of me, we complete one another and we might just need to share when someone comes into our lives, should they. 

Twins are rare in the family. That's what our sister says. We were the first in about ten or so generations. Usually twins are weak, their powers are literally shared and they're shunned. We each have our own gift. We're strong.

When Zora said that usually twins were shunned for their weaknesses and at times the stronger-minded and usually bodied one decided that he (or she) wanted to be part of the family and killed their own twin, I promised to myself that I would never do this. I will protect my brother forever. There is nothing that can actually physically stop me from doing this, unless somehow I'm missing some limbs or whatever.

I know, at this point, that it's unlikely anyone will hurt us, at least no one in the family since we no longer have a family to turn to. The guys at the top are nice though, they let us come around, they teach us more about the language, they welcome us with warm smiles and open arms. The folks in the side building are really nice too, Agni loves their pool to death. He swims a lot better than me at this point so this is mostly why I'm a little uncomfortable around water but I know I'm safe, he keeps me safe and I do the same for him. It's how we work, there's no changing that.

We're twins, we're linked, together forever in one way or another.

~

"So you've painted us in the time of the hippies, the time of war, the renaissance, are you going to stop somewhere or just keep on going back in time until we're just floating around in space?" His words are soft, gently teasing and amused, I know he means no harm and I chuckle softly, shaking my head.

"I just want to cover all bases, I feel like we've been together, not just in body but there's a little part of us, I don't know how to explain it. It just feels like we've been together for all the eternity that has gone by already and I'm just putting it down with pencil scratching and paint." I smile up at him, he's standing behind me, looking over this latest masterpiece. 

Most of them are small, usually on canvas no taller than four or five inches. They're small, little pocket paintings, it's what I call them.

He curls his arms about my shoulders, resting his head lightly against me. I sigh and lean back against him, closing my eyes and listening to his heartbeat, feeling the warmth of him, just appreciating the peace I know I have with him when it's just the two of us together. It feels so good.

"Well, I love you," I blush softly at his whisper words, "and nothing will change that. I know what you're talking about, that connection we have. I think I felt something like that when I first saw that graffiti of yours on the wall. It just pulled to me. It's an old pull but it's strong and that's why we're together now."

He pauses and squeezes again, I just relax utterly against him. This is perfect. "I want to believe in reincarnation. I want to believe that we were together before, again and again and again. That our souls are linked and that we're not going anywhere away from one another."

I could weep for how much that fills me with joy.

~

"How long since last time?" I laze, settled half on him, against him. My head to his shoulder, our legs twined together. I feel the shift of him when he laughs under me and I close my eyes with a quietly pleased note.

"Too long ago." Too long ago, for both of us when we're having this discussion, is usually more than twenty-four hours. We're strange that way but as far as us being together this way, sharing our love for one another, we're very physical. I think we're still making up for all those years we spent apart, not really knowing better in that we could actually manage to stay together. We may have had quite the life behind us at this point, we still are learning new things to this day.

I want to believe that someone might just die if they stop learning so I try to learn something new every day.

His arm, curled about my waist, hugs me closer and I squirm to nestle as close as I can manage. I laugh softly as I know this is just the beginning of more time spent in this private, perfect room. We've been appreciating the quiet of the apartment, the size of it, the fact that we don't have to hide anything away from anyone here. Adela has a room with a view and I see her more now than I had before when she was in her near-closet, we have books out and about, we have decorations, so many memories hanging up on the walls from all the travelling we've done.

It's our home, it's us. It's who we are and who we want to be until the very end of days. That's all there is to that.


	10. Culture Shock

He stares at me, wide-eyed, fascination almost dripping off of him in waves. I could laugh if he wasn't so serious in wanting to learn more about me. It doesn't really move us along in helping him to control his gift but I guess my presence gives him someone to talk to, some anchor to cling to as he works through slowly letting go of his past lover properly. I don't mind really, it's good to feel needed this way and I more than willingly tell him what about he asks to know.

"It must have been so different!" He's animated, up until he moved into this apartment in our building I hadn't seen his eyes be that bright. Now he actually looks alive, not half as strained as he used to be. Of course the bracelet helps with that currently but that's just one of those things. It's warming to feel like I can actually help him.

I don't honestly see his handicap. I haven't asked or dug around in his brain to know if he was born that way of if it was an accident, it's honestly none of my business. If he ever brings it up, he will but I won't ask anything of him. It has to come freely.

Now I look at him for a long moment, he's almost squirming in his chair he's so curious and I laugh softly, shaking my head. I have to be somewhat careful about what I say though, he still thinks I'm like him, human, eventually to die, just gifted.

"Well, I most certainly hadn't been expecting any of what I saw when I got off the train. The place looked different, the folks were different, not as friendly as I'd hoped. I had to stay there for six months and you can believe me, it was quite the culture shock. I never really got over it to the point where when I came back home, I had to turn around and face the same shock. I mostly just settled back into my old life."

For a while, I tell him about the people, how different from us they were, the habits, the food, the music, everything I had learned over those first six months. Of course, that trip happened when I was much younger, almost a hundred and fifty years ago but things hadn't changed that much in that part of the world in all this time so I didn't feel too bad about this.

  


As I'm heading towards his door to head back up to my working lover, he actually reaches out, touches my arm with his hand, the touch is uncertain but he doesn't budge. I turn carefully in case he's closer to me than I might have expected and he looks up to me with those wide, slightly vulnerable eyes.

"I've been trying to move on. To let him go. I have his things in boxes but I just- I can't get rid of them yet." He pauses and I know he's telling me this because he wants to be as open and transparent with me as possible. I'm his mentor, he doesn't want to keep anything from me.

"It's really hard, I try. I archived his last message from my phone, even to this day I'd still listen to it often, I wanted to hear his voice, it made me feel like I wasn't completely alone but I know I was holding myself back. I can't delete it but at least I've archived it."

I smile at him, reach out, rest my hand carefully to his cheek and he leans against the touch. I sigh and shake my head gently. "You're doing well, Armin. It's a little bit at a time. If you want, when you feel ready, we can take his boxes of things and drop them off somewhere, an organization that might find some use for his things."

He nods against my hand, his eyes are closed and a few tears fall. I let them. I leave my hand where it is. I know he needs the comfort and I have no issues with letting him have some of my presence to help him get stronger.

After a few minutes, he sniffles slightly but leans back, breaking contact. He tries for a smile and it wavers but it still is there. He wipes at his eyes a moment and shakes his head. "I've been practising on closing the windows like you told me, too. I take the bracelet off at night when I'm preparing to get to bed, I still hang onto it, but I close the windows for a few minutes, just working a little longer each time. I can keep the voices quiet for almost fifteen minutes now."

He's farther along this road than I thought. He's strong willed, I have to give him that and I'm surprised. It must show in my eyes because his own widen and his smile brightens. I laugh softly and reach out, just carefully mussing his hair. "That is absolutely wonderful, Armin. I have to admit I didn't know how fast you would learn the control, this is really good. I'm proud of you."

He beams now, his eyes bright, the tears gone though I know there still is a lot of ache in that big heart of his. "Keep on getting stronger."

  


"He's such a quick study." It's not so strange to have these conversations through walls. Usually when he's in the shower I tend to join him but I know he's in a bit of a hurry, something about need to deliver a big piece for some girl's sweet sixteen. I might just go with him, I had my shower before I went down to see Armin.

"He's already up to fifteen minutes without the bracelet. I know it doesn't seem like much but considering how quickly things went from bad to worse with his gift, I'm pleased with his progress." He laughs as he steps out of the bathroom, towelling his hair dry.

"It sounds like you enjoy teaching him, have you ever thought that maybe you have the makings of being a teacher?" I stick my tongue out at him. I wouldn't know where to start with that. It could be an interesting sort of idea but it would force me to live the life he does. To live only a decade or two in the public and then pull back and away from the world so they wouldn't realize I'm not aging with them.

I don't know how he does it but I don't know if I could ever. 

"Can I come with you?" I know I sound hopeful, it can't be helped and he laughs again as he goes about getting dressed. 

"I was hoping you would offer as is, this piece is huge and I don't really trust its solidity on its own while we'll be travelling it to its destination." I blink, a little confused.

"Aren't your bigger pieces usually, you know, in pieces until you get to your destination where you set it up as a whole?" At least that's what I thought he'd told me last time.

"Usually, except this time the guy decided to change things last minute and he's just not letting me come in to work to get it up together, something about how I'd be in the way of the rest of the decorators. So he wants the full piece delivered to him, wants me in and out of there in at most fifteen minutes."

"Sounds like an asshole." He probably is and I probably won't like him. Even more and better a reason to go with Lex to get that thing delivered. Some of his clients, I swear, I loathe them to itty bitty bits.


	11. Don't Waste Your Time

The whole library was a mess. As if somehow a tornado had swept right through. It wasn't quite that far from the truth though it was merely a case of vandals who had broken in and thrashed the place utterly. Armin was doing his best to clean up the mess but his boss refused him any help. Said he could do it himself.

He looked the tumbled shelves over a moment and wondered just how he was supposed to get those upright. He wouldn't manage, it wasn't right. Those weighed a ton and he was more than certain it would take three or four people to actually get them upright once more so books could be set back up where they belonged.

Armin knew his boss had been looking to fire him for years, just hadn't had any proper reason or an excuse at this point. These vandals nearly destroying the place was a good excuse. In the years where he only had been an assistant librarian, working with Cecilia, there had been vandals, they had thrown the place upside down much as it was now, the boss had hired a huge cleaning crew and had gotten the place back up and going in two week's time.

Now, on his own, Armin had two weeks to clear it all up, to get everything upright and proper or he would lose his job. It was a lost battle and he knew it. The thought of ending up on the streets, or worse (for him), having to go back home to his family who wouldn't welcome him with open arms, was terrifying.

"Stop wasting your time and start cleaning, you have two weeks to get this done or you're out of this place! You've always been a good for nothing librarian and you don't belong here." The fat man called from his spot near the door where he was preparing to set up a sign just outside stating they were in the middle of a huge clean up and repairs needed done, two weeks closed.

  


"At times I wonder just how little you care about this place." Armin mumbles the words to himself once he's alone, looking at the closed door then letting his eyes sweep over the mess of the whole place. He didn't even know where he was supposed to start. He couldn't get the shelves upright and it seemed the one option to get started. He was screwed and it was a less than pleasant feeling.

Part of him wondered if he was desperate enough and he closed his eyes. Maybe he was. It would be a debt to repay, if it was even at all possible. He assumed it was. If they were able to afford renovating an old, abandoned warehouse into a new apartment building, they could afford it. That's what he wanted to believe, in any case. He shuddered, dropped almost bonelessly in his chair and tried to find his cellphone.

Eoghan had left him his number just in case. Emergencies he'd said. He was going to lose his job, this was an emergency, right? Right. At least he believed that it was an emergency. He shook his head, found his phone and looked at it for a long moment. Again he took a long look at the tumbled shelves, at the books everywhere, at least that's all there was to it. Two broken windows, shelves on the ground and books scattered. No graffiti, no books seemed to have been really badly messed up, no fire. Just, a huge mess.

He dialed the number and rested the phone to his ear, his eyes once more screwed shut. He felt like crying, this was painfully unfair. He loved this job, the books, the knowledge. The people not so much but they were part of it and he needed the money, he'd been doing this for years.

The phone rang once, twice, on the third ring he was almost certain no one would answer but finally a slightly breathless voice answered and Armin felt as if he'd just interrupted something overly important.

"Eoghan I'm so sorry to disturb you." His words are a mere whisper, he barely hears himself and he feels the tears almost swarm him, he struggles to keep them at bay.

On the other end of the phone there was a moment of quiet, of confusion. "Armin? I can barely hear you. I was just in the shower, getting out when I heard the phone, no need for apologies, what's wrong?"

Something had to be wrong after all, for the librarian to have called him. He listened to the breathing on the other side of the phone and stayed quiet until he was spoken to again.

Armin took a deep, shuddered breath and actually found himself choking on a tearful laugh. 

"The whole library is a mess. We had vandals overnight, the shelves are down, the books are everywhere, there are two broken windows. My boss expects me, on my own, to get it all back up and running within two weeks or I'm going to lose my job." He pauses, another broken laugh escaping him. "When it happened last time, it was Cecilia who was the head librarian and the boss-guy hired a whole crew to clean it up and set it back up to running order."

As he finished speaking, his words were soft, nearly too soft to hear. Eoghan stayed quiet for a moment, as if processing the words. Armin was growing even more uncertain by the moment, he really should not have called.

"We'll be there in about half an hour, Armin. We'll survey the damage and then we'll see just how many folks this place is going to need to get it back to tip-top shape and faster than expected."

This hadn't been the answer he had thought he would get.

  


Half an hour later, there indeed was a slight knock on the door and Armin tried to make his way to the door. It was slow progress from the books still scattered, though he had managed to clear a slight pathway while he had waited. It was the best he could do and he knew it wasn't enough.

He pulled the door open and let the two tall men in. He closed the door again, to keep the very slight spring chill out of the place. They surveyed the mess and it was easy to tell from their faces that this was not something they had expected. The place really was an absolute mess and it was heartbreaking for anyone who had any kind of love for books. He could see the unhappiness on Alexis's face as he finished looking the place over.

"This is going to take a big team but that shouldn't be an issue." His words were thoughtful, low.

Armin looked up to him, eyes wide. He really hadn't been sure what he had been supposed to expect. Then again he hadn't even expected these two men to come up and see the mess for themselves. It made him shake his head, try to clear the desire to cry away. This wasn't the place or time, just now.

"Don't worry, Armin." Eoghan settled his hand on the slighter man's shoulder gently, his smile was warm and genuine as it always was. "We'll get this place cleaned up right and quick, Lex knows the prefect team to get this work done."

"I'll pay you all back, somehow, some way!" Nothing was ever free in this world, he knew that rather well. Eoghan however shook his head and smiled at him warmly. Armin blinked at him, dumbfounded.

"Consider it a gift for all the trouble I've caused you since I found you out there in the woods, yes? We'll be even then. We help our friends and you're my friend and that's that." 

That was it, this was too much for him and Armin felt the tears run down his cheeks, unchecked. He sniffled roughly but managed one of those rare smiles he could barely find reason for anymore. This was one of those things, this was something in his life he had never expected, something he had never really hoped for but it was absolutely wonderful.

"Thank you both."


	12. Game Console

The twins are wandering the aisles of the shop, their eyes are wide and curious. Often they reach out but pull back and I have to feel rather thankful that they know better than to just touch everything they're curious about. A few things in this place are somewhat fragile and while I can afford to buy the whole place if I want, I'd rather not.

I can't recall whose idea it was to bring them to this store. Something about how they needed to get in with the times. This place is full of games, of consoles, it has a few books, some music CDs and some players. I try to mostly keep out of chain stores if I can help it. I prefer to make sure that smaller businesses get all the help they might just need to keep themselves afloat.

"Have you guys found anything that catches your eye yet?" The girl behind the counter has been nice so far, we've chatted a little while I've kept an eye on the teenagers. She's open, she loves her job and she could go on about a lot of the games in this place. I know it's sexist to think that only guys can be gamers, I just hadn't had any luck at meeting a girl in the field yet. It's nice.

Agni comes back my way, Mira in tow and they're holding about four different boxes. At first I thought they were all for different consoles but upon looking at the boxes in question I realize that they all are for one and only console. That's good. I'm not against them learning about technology and getting a few different games but my one personal rule had been that I would only get one console and that was it.

The games are set up on the counter and the girl, I think her name is Miranda (no name tag and I admit I didn't actually ask but I got it up from the top of her thoughts), looks them over. She starts chattering excitedly about how this one has a good difficulty curve, how it's easy to learn but hard to master and how this other one is mostly puzzles and other things. The boys stare at her blankly. For one she's talking too quickly for them and for two, even if she wasn't, she's talking about something they know nothing about. I have to laugh, I can't help it.

She stops and blushes deeply. I remind her that they're from India and their grasp of the language is still growing and she apologizes sheepishly. It really is just nice knowing people can get excited that much about things like these.

I see about making sure they have the console they need, the necessary bits and pieces, whatever extras the game might require. This is essentially my gift to them, to welcome them into our world. After that, anything else they might want they'll have to earn, either through hard work on the 'yard' we have at the back or through real, paid work. They still have plenty of time.

  


The walk home is animated. Mira is carrying the bag with the games and Agni has appropriated the bag with the console. I know they'll share but this is just adorable as can be. They're talking together, this time there's more French than anything else in their chattering and I have to feel a swell of pride. I'm so happy they're quick learners. It means that before too long they'll be able to honestly get around without needing any of us as translators. I'm sure they could get around now but they're still learning and none of us feel comfortable letting them go out and about on their own just yet.

Once home, I head in with them to the apartment, Zora is out for the day on her job and that's something else to be glad for. I'm happy she seems to be settling into her new life.

We unpack everything, I read the bit of instructions to make sure I don't plug in something where it shouldn't go and the console gets set up. I briefly remind them that games shouldn't take up all of their times. It's something to entertain them and not something for them to spend endless hours on. Though I did buy them an extra game to help with their grasp of the language and this I hardly mind if they spend hours upon hours on them.

I can't recall if we'd told Zora about the games or not. I suppose if it displeases her we'll hear about it before too long. She can't expect her brothers to stay in and twiddle their thumbs endlessly while she's out of their apartments, after all. They need distractions and we're just trying to give them that much.

  


Back up to my shared apartment, I flop almost bonelessly to the couch. I yawn and close my eyes for a few moments. I'm not sure if Lex is around or not. I know he had something set up, a small delivery to make and he didn't say where it was or when. He's my lover, not my dog, I don't keep him on a leash and I don't need to know constantly of his whereabouts.

Those who have to know everything about their lovers are setting themselves up for misery. Love isn't supposed to be like that. Love is meant to be built on trust and if you don't trust your partner, you're shit out of luck. Though, with folks like Armin who's too sweet for his own good but too insecure about himself, he'd probably throw all of his trust to someone who might show interest but might never really trust him the way he deserve.

I feel a strange sort of need to protect him. He's been hurt in the past, he's still being hurt now, I think it's an every day thing. I wish people would stop looking at him as if he was disabled. His walking with an arm-crutch does not make him an infirm. He's just different. Once you get to know how he really is inside though, then it's worth so much.

The clean up at the library should be nearly done by now. I still can't believe someone would tear this place down the way these vandals had. He's been working hard with the cleaning crew we hired to get the place up and running. It's been just a week, I'm sure his boss will want to know how he managed it all but I don't care. If I have to talk to the asshole I will. It's not right to force someone to clean up after vandals this way, especially not by threatening their jobs if they couldn't do it within a short time span.

Some people are just flat out cruel and evil. It's people like that who make me want to head back into the realms where I don't have to deal with them. The sad part of this is I know that it's not just restricted to mortals. There are demons out there who are as much assholes as some of these mortals are. It's inevitable. 

It's the sad, sad way our world goes.


	13. A Stack of Boxes

"Hoarding?" He sounds confused, a little frightened by what's on the screen right now and I don't blame him. I've lived with a hoarder for about five years, it was terrible, I was nearly maimed twice and I constantly felt as if I was suffocating. Still, I needed the place to live, I was still inexperienced when it came to being a real part of the world and I couldn't afford to live anywhere else. It was before I ever made it into my first real and proper job.

I shake my head, smiling at him just slightly. The show on the television is about this one woman who's just hoarding nothing and everything. There are boxes stacked everywhere and I'm surprised there hasn't been any accidents yet. Though there might have, they just won't tell us, the viewer, about it.

"Some people feel the need to just never throw anything away. Some will just buy and buy and keep on buying. There are a lot of different reasons for it though, for some it's because something terrible happened to them when they were younger, for others it's a way to deal with life. In some cases, they grew up in that kind of environment and they have a hard time not doing exactly the same thing themselves." I explain things to him in the simplest of ways I can manage, really.

"But that's just-, there's nearly no way to get around her house, the whole place is packed nearly to the ceiling. Things could topple at any instant!" It's good to know that he seems to be aware of the danger of the whole situation, at least. It's comforting in a way.

I shake my head with a sigh, looking at the screen a moment later before I have to look away. This show is about helping folks with these issues, helping them clean up and try to stay cleaned up. It only reminds me of the life I had when I was still too young. I was living with another demon at that point and this issue is something I wish I never had to handle, it was terrible.

I couldn't even keep my room clear of all his stuff he was constantly dropping stuff in there, saying that it was his home and he could do whatever he wanted, that if I didn't like it, I could just get out and find elsewhere. It took me five years to find 'elsewhere' and by then I didn't even have a room anymore. I didn't have access to my bed so I just slept near the window where I was mostly able to keep a clear sort of spot. It was unhealthy.

"There are dead things in there!" Startled, I look to him then back up to the screen and I can't help the faint laugh. That's not new either. I reach for the remote and I change the channel to one of the earth documentaries. This is easier on the stomach, at least for me. He gives me a slightly confused look and I can only manage to pull my lips into the ghost of a smile. 

"I lived like that for a while. Not me, mind you, the guy I was having to live with, it was terrible. I don't know if I can ever stomach the idea of being near or around a hoarder ever again in my life. I like to keep things like everyone else but not to the point of burying myself under it all."

He nods, seeming to mostly understand what I'm talking about and we just try to forget about the hoarder, focus on the television and its rainforest documentary.

  


"You haven't touched any of your food, Eoghan." Lex's voice pulls me out of my thoughts, I look up to him, startled. I know where my mind had taken me and it makes me cringe somewhat. I had completely forgotten where I was and who I was with. At times I think I'm as sensitive as Yael on some subjects, it makes no sense. I've had centuries to get used to this life. I guess some things just stay stronger than others.

"I'm sorry, Lex. When I was spending time with Yael earlier we ended up partly watching a show on hoarders and it just stuck with me, I wish it hadn't." He cants his head, a thoughtful sort of motion before he sighs and pushes my plate a little closer to me. I know I need to eat. "Living with Olric was really hard, I ended up buried under his piles of shit a few times and I'm just glad I heal the way I do because I don't think I'd be around at this point if that wasn't the case."

The sad truth about this is that I think I heard that he did get buried under his shit not that long after I left to live elsewhere and he never made it out of there. Even us stronger-bodied demons are not immortal if you're not careful about the kind of life you life.

"Eat, you can come and settle into the bedroom for a bit of a rest after. You need to eat first because I'm not helping to wear you out if you don't have some energy to spare." I blush lightly and I shake my head. His methods are usually the best methods there are and I can never say no. I look down to the plate in front of me and I look around for my fork before I realize I've been holding it all along.

Rolling my eyes at my own inability to stay glued to the present, I eat. I take it mostly slow since I'm still not really feeling the desire to eat at all but I know I need the food in me. Lex has good means of wearing me out until I can't even think about anything at all and if I want to appreciate any of it, I need food.

"At least if his things had been boxed the way this woman's stuff was, it might not have been as dangerous." I know my mind will still stick to that subject for a little bit longer, I can't help it. Lex never has seen the inside of Olric's home and that's for the better. I don't even know if it's still standing. I don't care. "He'd just get all this shit and pile it up, throw it some place and he'd never even use any of it."

Olric's need to hoard had merely been born on a need to have everything he could get his hands on. That's what I understood of him after living with him for five years. If he had this one thing, no one else could have it or use it. I used to think of him as a bully, taking everything away from everyone else but I know it was all in his head, it wasn't actually right in there and he couldn't really be helped.

I'm just glad it's not a 'disease' that can be caught. I don't know if I could ever have lived with myself if I'd started hoarding stuff after I left his house to have my own small place.


	14. __________ changed everything

The library was intact. It almost looked better now than it did before the vandals had a go at it, had all the books to the ground and the shelves toppled. Armin still had a hard time believing that it was all up again, that everything was cleaned and set away and it took all of a week. He had known his boss wouldn't even check on him before the two weeks were up, expecting the place to be as much a mess as it had been when he left it and he hadn't cared.

After the mess had been cleaned up and everything put away, he had profusely thanked the cleaners, the whole huge team of them and they had been on their way. He felt indebted to the two men who had made it possible for him to keep his job, keep the roof over his head and he didn't know how to make it up to them. How to pay them back at all.

He only imagined that paying this team of cleaner would have cost him several months worth of salary and it made it even more difficult to know where to start. Eoghan had told him not to worry about it, that this was paid back already, that he had offered the team of cleaners to pay back for all the trouble that had been caused since his rescue from the woods but it was hard to accept that.

  


During the second week where Armin had been expected to clean, he opened up the library doors to its users. Their flow was slowed down. He supposed he wasn't really surprised. The damages had been quite extensive and it was hard to believe that it had only taken a week to clean it all up.

He didn't really care. He was doing his job, he was taking care of the books, answering rare questions and just all about doing what he wanted with his life (for the most part in any case). He still was being paid, his boss couldn't just stop paying him unless he was fired and there was no reason at all to fire him, the place was up and running.

  


His walks home were peaceful. The weather was warming up, it was peaceful and usually people still avoided him like the plague. Usually it bothered him somewhat. He accepted openly that he was different, that people would likely never really look at him as if he were whole but still it hurt at times when he saw a mother pull her child away to the other end of the sidewalk to be as far away as possible from him.

At this point in time he barely noticed it. He was only thinking of his life as it was now. The voices were still present but they were murmurs, softer than ever and he mostly was managing to ignore them. His life had changed utterly. Meeting Eoghan and Alexis had changed almost everything in the way he went about his ways. He had a more comfortable roof over his head, in the winter during blackouts if there were to be any he could warm himself up nicely and cozily by the fireplace, a real one, not just a fake one with fake flames.

He still had his job and that too was thanks to these two ever kind men. He did want to thank them in some way but he couldn't imagine what he could or could not do. They seemed to be able to afford anything and everything they might ever want so he didn't really see what he could manage for them.

A dinner seemed starkly out of place and absolutely wrong, he still didn't know them that much though he was getting to know Eoghan better. It didn't mean he could offer them dinner just yet. Maybe a book of sorts. Eoghan had said something about Alexis being in the chocolate business, how he made his own chocolate from scratch. Maybe a book on that, but that too seemed far-fetched, it didn't seem right.

He was sure he could dig through his collections of old things to find maybe something. There was a lovely bird cage near their entry-way, an old kind of birdcage that had been fixed up. It fit in with the rest. Maybe they did like antiques and maybe it would be worth a thought.

  


As he walked into the building and towards his apartment, he sighed softly and rubbed his eyes with his good hand. He still had a hard time believing he wasn't in the other building, surrounded by all the old rumour-spreading coots. It had been a terrible way of life. At first it hadn't been so bad, there had been other folks his age but over time, the older, retired ones had taken over, as if they'd somehow decided that this building was theirs utterly.

Door locked behind him, he wandered off, slowly, towards his bathroom. It was a strange sort of habit but every time he came home from working his day away at the library, he took a bath. It helped him relax, ease stiff muscles from the day's work and it got the book dust away from his pores. He could swear that if he didn't have his bath, eventually the book dust would clog his pores and he'd become some sort of mummy. The thought always made him chuckle.

He stepped into his bedroom, left his coat there, his shoes and the rest of his clothes. He found his bathrobe, wrapped himself carefully up in it and he made his just as careful way into his attached bathroom. He looked at the bath for a moment and wondered if it hadn't been set up as it was because of his disability. He couldn't imagine this kind of bath in every apartment. It was almost a standing kind of bath, with its doorway. He'd mostly heard of them in homes of older folks who needed the safety but it worked for him just fine. It meant he didn't have to kneel down or struggle to get into the water.

Setting his crutch down and out of the way, he hung his bathrobe on the door's hook and he opened the tub. He stepped in, closed the door and merely got the water started. He hadn't actually had himself a bath during the cleaning week, always quick showers as he was so stressed that no bath could relax him. Now though, as the steamy water started to fill the sitting tub, he closed his eyes and leaned back slightly.

His life had changed, there was no denying that and unlike in the past, he wasn't all that afraid of what was in store for him in the future. He was doing well, his life was almost easy for him to think about and he knew that this new step, this new beginning was what he had been waiting for all along. It's all he needed. It's all that really mattered.


	15. Temptations

The rising sun shines lazily through large windows, there are sheer curtains covering them. Above them, a sign that says _Boulangerie des Anges_ is visible. It is old and worn. The scents that waft from the already quite busy little store are mouth-watering. The streets, just outside, are quiet, peaceful. Not a soul wanders on by.

Within the bakery, workers are busy preparing this morning's batch of warm, mouth-watering breads, croissant and muffins. Any of the sleepy wanderers who will walk on by shortly will stop by, breathe in deeply and most will actually stop inside to buy a little something, it is hard to resist the scent of fresh bread. Even more difficult to ignore is the knowledge that they do make special kind of loaves. Some without this ingredient, without that one. For those who would prefer an alternative to regular flour breads.

These workers are usually at work long before the sun begins its trek up into the sky, it is a necessary. Though they also tend to close somewhat earlier in the day as well, everything sells at quite the rate, after all. Perhaps it should have been called _Tentation des Anges_. It would have been a more than fitting name.

  


In a quiet household perhaps fifteen minutes away, two demons begin to rise, though it perhaps is the company of cats kneading at the blankets, an in turn their owner, that wakes them. Quentin half-heartedly swats at Areli, though maybe it is Lavi, and rolls over to his other side. Yael laughs softly at his companion's reactions to the cat and he pulls himself out of the bed carefully. He knows they are hungry, they usually are at this time after all.

He pulls on a short robe and lets himself by led by the two hungry felines, wandering towards their play room where their food is kept. Not surprisingly, the auto-feeder is empty but they tend to not use it when they're both home, preferring to make sure the cats have food in their bowls themselves, both morning and evening.

Yawning, he fills in the cup then empties it into the empty bowl. Both cats settle to eat more than happily as their owner picks up their water bowl and heads back into the kitchen to clean it up slightly and fill it up with cold water. The drinking fountain they had bought for the cats lasted all of a few weeks, the two playful felines cared little to drink from it, it had been thrown out.

Yael takes a quiet look at the kitchen and yawns again. He stretches, rubs his eyes and looks into the pantry briefly. He's not hungry yet but he knows better than to not check. If he later on starts to prepare them a meal and finds himself short of ingredients, it would be too late to get them. He notes the lack of bread then looks briefly through the fridge. Fruits and vegetables are not an issue but eggs, milk, cheese and meat are a different issue.

Making a quick note of what they're in need of, he yawns again before wandering back towards their bedroom. He leans down to kiss Quentin's cheek before walking to his dresser to find some clothes.

"I need to get some bread and some dairies, it's still early but I know how usual stores will be open. I'm already wide awake as it is and I don't think I can get back to sleep so I'm going to head off and do that." He offers the words quietly. Still clearly enough to be heard but not to startle the other too much. Quentin had taken some time to fall asleep, he needed the rest a bit more.

  


Dressed, Yael locates a couple of his reusable bags and he heads out into the warming air. It still isn't warm enough to wander without a light jacket on but the weather is so much more comfortable now than it had been just a week or two ago, it was pleasant. Every day a little warmer. This was almost his favourite season. Too hot in summer, too cold in winter. Spring and Autumn were the best.

He briefly looked to the side of the building where his bike sat. He barely used it. It was old and rusted, it was a bike he'd gotten when he'd been on the street, it had gotten him from place to place a bit quicker than on foot. The stores he wanted to visit were close enough and he didn't have in mind to be weighed down by too much. Just a loaf of bread and some milk and eggs.

As he walks, he enjoys the still fresh quality to the air, the quietness of the area as most people still are not up and about at this hour. He usually fetches his food in the later hours but walking out in the fresh morning was a new sort of experience and he was appreciating it for all it was worth at this point.

He passed the bakery but found himself slowing and stopping in his tracks. By the time he wandered across this storefront, it was usually closed, the scents were mostly faded and nearly non-existent. Now they almost swarmed him, took him by surprised and he stands there, staring at the workers busy themselves within for almost ten minutes before he shakes it off and goes on his way.

The store he usually visits is just three doors down and he slips inside. He greets the old man behind the counter and goes in search of his milk and eggs. He stops by the bread section and hesitates. The scent of freshly baked bread still is invading his nostrils and he gives in, _just this once_ , he tells himself.

Yael walks back towards the counter, pays for his eggs and milk, bags them carefully, bids the man a good day and he steps outside again. His feet take him right back to the bakery and he hardly hesitates to step inside. The scent of warm bread is even more present inside. He feels his mouth almost watering and he clicks it shut with a bit of a startled surprise. This is far from usual. At least for him.

He approaches the counter and looks up above it. A blackboard hangs above their heads and all they offer is written down there. There are so many choices that he finds it more than a little difficult to pick just one.

  


Closing the door to his home behind himself as he steps in, he dries his shoes somewhat and then slips them off. He walks to the kitchen and puts both bags on the counter with a soft laugh. He unpacks the milk and eggs, sets them in the fridge before he unpacks the bag from the bakery. Four loaves, all in different flavors, a bag with half a dozen croissant and some raspberry muffins. Those he actually puts away for the time being. He'll be putting his shoes back on in a moment to bring those up over to his friends. After all, he knows Alexis and his craving for raspberries.

Yael looks at the different loaves of bread just sitting there in front of him, all still warm and delicious fresh scent wafting up to him and he laughs again a soft, quiet laugh.

Quentin, rubbing his eyes and wrapped in his own robe, steps out from the bedroom, nose in the air, trying to make sense of the different scents in the house.

"I think I'm going to have to make a habit of getting what we're missing in the morning. The bakery is open at this hour and you wouldn't believe all they offer. I bought more than I had expected but I know they'll all taste so good. For now, I need to head across, I bought something for the guys. I'll see you in five." He sounds pleased, amused. His life is going well and he has discovered yet something deliciously new.

Yael steals a brief kiss from Quentin's lips before snagging the container of muffins and wandering back to the door to put his shoes back on. Maybe he can tempt the two elder demons to the wonderful world of warm, still freshly baked goods.


	16. Suburban Sprawl

"Do you think they'll ever take over these lands and add in housing and everything else?" The question comes out of the blue, it seems, Yael looking off in the distance from the roof. Not their own, no, there is essentially no roof for them to step on since everything is glass but the roof of Eoghan and Alexis's building is solid, the pool isn't set up utterly yet but the base is up and running.

Alexis cants his head, looking off in the distance as well. He shakes his head lightly and shrugs. "Hard to know, Yael. They might, they might not. I could buy the whole land to make sure they don't but if it comes to them needing the room I wouldn't have much of a choice but to hand it back over. I don't think they'll need it in this lifetime of theirs. We'll have had time to enjoy the emptiness of this place before they build up on it."

His voice is low and smooth, thoughtful. Yael had dropped by with another basket of fruits and vegetable and out of curiosity he'd asked about the view from the roof. He hadn't expected it to be much different from his third-floor view but it was different. For one thing, from the roof he could see in all directions.

"I saw a documentary just a few days ago, about, I think they called it urban or suburban sprawl? All the same houses and the same yards all neat and perfect and ugh, I'd rather live in an old city or village and see the beauty of things as they were back then, than be stuck in a place where everything is absolutely the same." He knows he needs to stop watching these documentaries, they make him question everything and almost doubt everything. It's a good learning experience in the long run, however.

Alexis laughs softly a deep but low sort of sound. Yael blushes somewhat and shrugs as the taller man rests a hand to his back to turn him around so they can head back downstairs to the main floor before Eoghan has eaten through all of his raspberries. "Never stop learning, Yael. Though I can see where you might worry we may lose the view we have now but don't worry. In a hundred year or so, maybe in fifty if we're unlucky, they'll want to spread out even further and ruin the view but not just yet."

Yael merely nodded and sighed, his shoulders sagging a little. Alexis shakes his head and stops before they step to the stairs leading down. "Yael, if humans go batshit and start ruining the planet much worse than they are now, we've planned on taking the lot of us into the realms. We don't know if we might manage or not to take the buildings as they are now, or the garden, but those are all details we'll go over in time. We still have decades before that happens. I know Eoghan didn't want you or Quentin to know yet so you didn't have to worry about anything but I can tell you're going to fret about a lot of things in life and I think that this is one that you shouldn't have to worry about. We'll figure everything out as it happens and more than likely a little beforehand."

Confused by what he was just told, Yael blinks, frowns for all of a moment before offering a slow nod. "I'll try not to think about this too much, or the re- you said realm? Okay, I'll try not to think about that too much either but Eoghan better come across soon to explain because I don't want to be left in the dark too long."

He sounds uncertain but there is a light in his eyes. Alexis smiles at him somewhat and leads him back down the stairs, into his apartment and then down to the elevator. He watches the young man step outside, across the slight street separating both buildings and into his own. He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Eoghan, we need to talk."

  


"I hadn't had in mind to tell them until it was about time, I don't know why you went ahead and told him about this." A little unhappy, Eoghan mutters but sighs, he runs his hands through his hair and closes his eyes.

"You should have seen him, Eoghan, he looked like he believed the city folks would take away the nature and the view within the next few hours, I don't know, I just thought he had a right to know that if these guys decided on wasting away what was left of the planet, we had a way out. It just slipped. You know it never happens but it did. First time for everything." Alexis still is mostly calm, keeping his cool. The realms are Eoghan's thing, he's the one who controls the doorways.

"At least you didn't tell the twins about this!" Eoghan laughs now, a quiet sort of sound as he shakes his head. It seems much easier to be amused over this whole thing instead of angry. "I guess I'll go talk to them in a few more hours, give Yael time to settle and try to wrap his mind around the idea on his own. I don't know what I'm going to tell him."

"Just tell him what you told me when you first met me, what you told me to convince me that the idea of the realm wasn't such a bad one. I hated growing up in the realms but yours is abandoned while in still good shape. We could always take them there to visit one of these days, maybe not any time soon, I know it can be wearing for you to open the doors for people you're not used to travelling with but think about it." It seemed a fair option, really.

"All of this because he saw a documentary of suburban sprawl, huh? I swear, I need to make sure he only watches stuff that's sweet and pretty and fluffy." He still sounded mostly amused though he groaned, breathing a low sigh. "Have to keep in mind they've both mostly lived under rocks, that's all."

"I love you." Eoghan stares up at Alexis's words and he rolls his eyes somewhat.

"Nice try changing the subject." He pauses but his lips quirk slightly, "Ah hell, I love you too and you know it."

"Worked, didn't it?" Alexis snickers and stretches. "If you want, I'll go with you, that way I can make sure that none of them freak out at all and whatnot, would that make you feel any better?"

Eoghan does smile a little easier this time and he nods. "That actually sounds like a really good idea. I know Yael will believe me, he might believe me if I told him the moon had folks living in it. Quentin is a bit less easy to convince. He doesn't handle bullshit but since this is all true I can only hope I might manage to convince him that all of it is for our own good."

"I also told Yael we might see if we can at all move the buildings with us but that it was likely to be impossible."

"You're really doing your best to make sure I have myself a heart attack or something when I finally open the doorways for the big move, huh?" Sheepish, Alexis shrugs. He couldn't really help it. He was only trying to change the subject and his mind just hadn't latched on the right subject to change to. He would do what he could to better the situation, in time.


	17. A Portrait

Sitting quietly in his office, Yael calmly looks over a photo he has carefully set up to sit against his canvas. He feels no inspiration whatsoever but he knows he has to paint what he sees nonetheless. That is how his commission portraits work. Usually he has no issues with the work but this one just doesn't seem to be speaking to him, there is nothing.

The photo is of a bride and groom, standing together, looking quite happy. The usual just-now-married kind of deal, really. There just is something to the bride's eyes that settles unease in him, he can't really pinpoint it. Plus, she was the one to commission the piece, something to give her husband to make sure the memory was still bright and clear as the day had been then.

He shakes his head and sighs. This will not be an easy piece, though he knows he can merely do the work mechanically, as if he were painting by the number. He's done it before when another piece stirred no interest whatsoever in him. It doesn't really bother him, he just feels no desire at all to get it done but he doesn't really want to disappoint and client when they're willing to pay a little extra to get the work done a little faster.

Rubbing his eyes, he stands and moves away from the blank canvas and the photo. He steps out of his studio and into the house proper. He heads for the kitchen where his companion is preparing two glasses of orange juice. Sitting at the counter, he offers a wan smile but sighs again and closes his eyes.

"Photo still not telling you anything you want?" Quentin's words are quiet, curious as he carefully pushes one glass of juice towards Yael. He's seen that look before though it is rare. Usually most portrait commissions mean something to Yael, they pull at him and he has no issues painting them and it is more often than not exactly what the client wanted. This one seems to be a lot more difficult.

Shoulders slumping, Yael grumbles faintly but curls his fingers about the glass of juice, offering a faint thank you as he takes a sip. "I just don't know what it is about this one, her eyes, there's something in them and I feel like I'm missing something big. I mean I know I shouldn't even be worrying about that, all I have to do is paint the thing and send it back and that's it but there's just something and it's annoying me."

Quentin smiles wryly and shakes his head. "Try not to think too much about it. I can set up some of that background music that usually gets your artistic juices going, you do the rough sketch, clear it up and paint it in. You've done it often enough in the recent past."

A lot of portrait commissions had come through within the past few months, Yael had even felt a little swarmed by it all.

  


When the sketch is done, he looks it over, then looks up to the photo. He nods to himself and sighs softly. He feels like he's working on something evil and he still has absolutely no idea why. Maybe it was just the almost strident voice of the wife as she'd ordered the piece.

Shaking it off, he looks at the photo again but only to take note of things, the way cheekbones settle, the curl of lips, the way the eyes are set. He adds in more details, clearing up the rough sketch and making it something closer to what the photo was. The background was hideous but at least the woman had told him that he could drop it, just put a sort of vague, one-colour kind background if he so wanted. The important part was the pair, of course.

He keeps on working best he can.

  


He looks up again at the photo then back down to his work. The sketch is faded but still party visible as he continues to slowly work in the colours. He still hasn't painted her eyes. Knows he should be doing them soon but he can't bring himself to. They still creep him out. 

Shaking his head, Yael laughs at the absurdity of it all and paints in her eyes.

Once he's done, he actually pauses to give them a chance to dry and when they are, he actually carefully covers them so he no longer has to see them. It's one of those things he can at least get away with doing. Final touches will require uncovering those eyes but he's not yet done with the whole thing and he's in no rush to see those almost evil (to him!) eyes.

  


Standing back from his canvas, the photo in hand, he looks between it and the canvas. It almost looks as if someone had just printed the photo on canvas. Though the eyes are slightly different. After he'd been done with the whole thing, he did look it over and went right back to it. Fixed up those eyes. Kept to the proper colour but he made them softer, he made them show more of that love he felt was missing from her gaze, the happiness that should have been there.

"She looked like someone who'd married the guy for what he had and was plotting to kill him." He mutters softly to himself and he shakes his head. He pulls a cloth over the finished painting, knowing he will be packing it up to send it out in the morning. He just wants it out of his home as soon as possible. He really didn't know what it was about it all but it gave him uncomfortable chills.

  


Come morning, the canvas is wrapped and dropped off at the postal office. Yael feels a weight lifting from his shoulders and he shakes his head as he wanders back home, taking his usual route. 

He stops at the general store and buys some cheeses and pâtés. He feels the need to celebrate the painting being gone from their home. He walks three doors down and steps into the bakery with a soft chuckle. He had tried to avoid temptation but the smells of freshly baked bread won over every time. At least, this time he buys a single loaf of bread and starts on his way back. When he crosses the threshold into his new life, he laughs softly, feeling relieved in ways he cannot really explain.

"I'm home!" He calls out before he takes his shoes off and heads into the kitchen to set out his small bag of celebration food.

He finally takes his coat off to hang it in the wardrobe in the foyer and heads back out towards their shared room where his companion still is half-asleep. Stealing a kiss, he slips into the bed, merely nestling slightly. He figures that he deserves a little more rest now that the painting that has kept him uncomfortable for the past three days is done and over with. He never had painted this quickly before but the quality of the finished work had not suffered from it.

"Remind me to not accept commissions if they creep me out." Yael mumbles the words, yawning softly and closing his eyes, feeling exhaustion still very present in his bones, he breathes in then out. He relaxes and goes lax and sleep sweeps over him peacefully. Breakfast can wait.


	18. Science

"And then volcano go boom!" Agni's voice is bright, excited.

"But not a real volcano, right?" Mira's own, not so much, he sounds a little worried as he looks his brother over briefly. His brother's love for fire worried him at times but not all that often, he knew it was somewhat natural, given his gift. At least he assumed. He personally craved water, it was why he assumed as he did.

Laughing, his brother shakes his head, he looks amused as he jumps off their bed where they had been studying and goes to the books that have been given to them. He looks along their spines before he finds the one he's looking for and he brings it back. He settles next to Mira once more and thumbs through the pages before setting the book down.

"Not real volcano, science!" Agni still grins as he speaks.

Mira looks down at the page to study it. "You can talk better than that, Agni."

There is no reproach in his tone, just a gentle reminder. They were very quick studies, at times words still escaped them but it was perhaps because they had heard the language so much while growing up. They had had a good base, just had never really learned how to work with any of it.

Agni sighs and grumbles, he shrugs and half-heartedly kicks at the books they were looking at. "Don't want to."

Mira quirks a brow and looks his brother over. This bit of childishness isn't new, he knows that they have been coddled in their own ways up until this point in their lives. Despite living in shelters and on the street, their sister Zora has kept them from discovering the world too much, has kept them, in a way, from growing up and maturing the way they should have. It usually is Agni who seems more mature of the two but when it comes to speaking and studying to better learn the ways of their new life, Mira has a better grasp on everything.

Knowing his brother is going to keep on huffing and sulking, Mira rolls his eyes and brings back the book that has been opened. He studies its pages again before pushing it towards his brother. "So tell me more about your volcano."

If it can make his brother happy then he doesn't really see the trouble. He knows he pushes hard enough most of the time, a break now and again can't really hurt.

  


They are sitting in Eoghan's living room. A large protective sheet of plastic has been set out everywhere to protect the floor and the furniture they are sitting on. They didn't have the required ingredients to make the volcano Agni so wanted so they stepped up and asked for a little help. Eoghan was open to their experiment, it meant they were learning and that was the point of things, in the end.

The older demon is watching from a distance, listening to them talk. Mira's control over his speech is wonderful. He still has quite a strong accent but he rarely uses foreign words to discuss now. As if a switch had been flipped in his brain. He's never heard of anyone learning a language this quickly. Of course, he doesn't give much thought to how they might write it all, so long as they speak well for now. Writing will come a little later on.

Agni's control isn't quite as strong but Eoghan can tell he is making plenty of efforts. It's all he asks for when he brings them new books on new subjects. He just wants them to try a little, at the very least.

  


When the volcano erupts, it does so in a grandiose manner. Agni is laughing his heart out, pleased as can be about how well it works but Mira looks a little uncertain. They have followed the direction but still thinks hadn't seemed quite right. He shakes his head to clear it off and looks up to Eoghan, a light smile to his lips. 

It is clear that he loves and adores his brother but Eoghan is sure that they might end up drifting apart to a point, now that their lives are opening up to all that is around them. Growing up together, mostly sheltered from the real word would keep people close together but when life opened up and new things were discovered, life tended to change.

He doesn't think they will go their separate ways forever but if they still share a room, he doesn't know that it will last much longer. Agni is definitely showing a strong affection for all things science (especially if it involves heat and fire, of course) and Mira seems to be tuned more towards nature. Not to say that they cannot find a common ground but they can't spend all of their time together and before long he is certain these boys will each be studying different things in their free time.

Still he smiles at them, musses their hair with a laugh and congratulates them on a volcano well done.

  


"Agni?" Mira's voice is soft, a little uncertain as they put away the books they had been reading before the volcano idea had been brought up. 

Agni turns to look at his brother, his head canted slightly to the side though he stays quiet as he finishes to put everything away.

"I think maybe I should sleep in the other bedroom." He speaks in that language they both are fluent in, knowing it is the best option right now. Agni's eyes widen and Mira pushes on, needing to get it all out before his brother assumed the worse. "You're still my favourite person, you'll always be but I think we might be too old to share this bed and as is, we don't get to sleep or wake up at the same hours and I think it might not hurt to try for a few days at least."

Agni's mouth opens then closes, as if he's trying to make sense of what he's just been told. He frowns, sighs but straightens before he walks over to his brother. "I don't like it. I don't want to be away from you."

Mira manages a weak smile and he shakes his head slightly, taking his brother's hands to hold onto them. "We won't be apart, I'm just going to be across the hallway, I can even keep my door open if you want so all you'll have to do is cross from your room to mine. What if we eventually find someone we really like out there? What if we invite them to sleep over?"

"Did you find someone to like?" The hurt is evident in Agni's voice and Mira sighs, releasing one of his brother's hands to pinch the bridge of his nose lightly.

"I haven't met anyone, Agni, I'm always with you. I'm just saying, if we somehow make other friends and we invite them to sleep over, it might just be weird if we're sharing a bed and all. Eoghan says that people might not understand how close we are and I don't want us to be hurt by these folks. I'll be just across the hallway, I swear." He had nowhere else to go as it was, even if he wanted to.

Agni sighs and shakes his head again, pulling his other hand away from his brother. "Fine, whatever."

Not quite the answer he had been hoping for but it is a start, Mira knows that this is more than likely for the best. 


	19. It Is Elegant

"How much do you think this might have actually cost?" I hadn't actually seen that dress since the day it had somehow landed on our doorstep, addressed to him. I cant my head, look it over as he holds it up to the light and then hangs it on the back of the door. I shrug and smile slightly.

"I honestly don't know. It's lovely, elegant really. It's been gathering dust though, huh?" He nods and chuckles softly. I guess that's what was going through his mind too. I know he tries to go through his things every half-year or so since he's been here, pulls out what hasn't been worn and what hasn't had a use and bags it up.

"Might be more expensive than we think. Someone could more than likely get a good price for it. Or we could drop it off with the rest of the things to the same folks we usually do and they'll see it for however cheap they think they can get away with, so long as it makes someone happy." It is a beautiful dress. Its deep colour brings out his eyes but I know that when it was worn that time we received it from who knows it, was a once in our lives thing. Yael isn't the cross-dressing kind and I like him just as he is, pants, shirts and all.

He looks the dress over a moment, pulls it from the back of the door and holds it up in front of his still slightly thin frame. I cant my head, look him over and I smile. It brings back wonderful memories, this dress helped us move along to the life we have now. Still though I shake my head and I stretch before pushing away my cup of cooling tea. "I think we could bring it over to Eoghan, maybe he'll know someone who might be willing to buy it from us. It is expensive looking, I think it might be a bit of a waste to just give it away to someone who might not really appreciate it."

I don't know fashion, I know nothing about it. I know nothing about art either but I know a few small things about beauty, since after all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think someone could really benefit from this dress but dropping it off to folks who work in thrift stores might not do this one justice.

Nodding, he puts it back up on the back of the door and then he's disappearing back into his- no, our bedroom to go through his things. Once he's done there, I know he'll be heading off into his studio to see about a few things in there he doesn't use. Usually the pile from his clothes is much bigger than the one from his studio.

  


As afternoon begins to settle comfortably over us, the sun warm though there is a bit of a cold breeze going through, we gather the slight bags, dress excluded, of the things he's decided he didn't need or want and we head off to locate the nearest drop box. There are a few different groups who run different thrift stores and we never really play favourites. We just drop the bags in the nearest box, I'm not even sure which group takes care of it.

"You're sure you're not going to miss anything you're about to give away?" He shakes his head with a laugh, the breeze ruffles his loose hair. It's so rare for him to wear it loose, I just want to run my fingers through it to the end of time. I suppose that might just be a fetish I have. His hair is just so silky smooth.

"The old coat I replaced with you last time, that coat I swore was grey, some old pants that are still in good condition, a few different shirts, nothing I've worn in the past year honestly. I know I go through my stuff twice a year but I try to keep track of what I have and haven't worn. If I haven't worn something in a year, what's the point of having it?" It makes sense when you think about it in that way. I nod and when we're by the boxes, we each drop our slight back in and turn to head back home.

On the way, we stop by a slight park, though it's closer to just being a stop and sit thing, there's a bench on the side of the street with a few trees behind it. We settle and just enjoy the sun for a moment. I know there's the park not far from home and I'm sure we can stop there on the way just the same. There's more to discover there. I still mostly know that park by night time and I'm always surprised at what I see and discover when it's clearer, brighter out.

He takes my hand after a few moments and we walk on.

  


The park near home is almost swarming with people though not quite. I suppose this is one of the reasons why I much prefer this place at night. It's empty. I'm not much of a social soul, I don't like talking to strangers. At times I can make exceptions but they're mostly rare. I yawn in the fresh mid-afternoon air and squeeze his hand.

I've long since gotten used to the idea of holding his hand. Long since made my mind that I wouldn't let people dictate what I can and cannot do in public. Not everyone is open to guys being together and that's just their loss, I'm not going to keep myself from doing things I enjoy with him because I might be afraid of being judged.

Afraid of being found out and my demon-side brought to light, yes, but of what others think of me as a mostly normal guy in love with another guy, no.

We stop by the little pond, this place I spent a lot of time near at the beginning. We settle on the bench there, just appreciating the warm sun, the slight breeze. We're dressed just enough for the weather and it's absolutely wonderful. I pull our linked hands up and I press my lips to the back of his hand. He blushes and I snicker softly. I love being able to fluster him this way. He makes me feel wonderful.

Something changes in his eyes however as I peck the back of his hand again and I blink. He breaches the distance between us and steals a kiss. I blush, more than likely even darker than him but I can only smile stupidly. I think this is our first publicly shared kiss. Holding hands has been one thing, but kissing in public has been another, this was surprising but perfectly perfect.

  


I admit that we do have a sort of routine for most later-afternoons hours when we have nothing actually planned. When we step back into our home, we lock the door as usual and leave our shoes and coats in the foyer. Hands returned together, we head past our bedroom and towards the pool room where we'll just undress one another and swim for a few moments before settling on the floating mattress, it might seem silly to some but it's just how we are. It relaxes us to be together this way with nothing between us. It's so peaceful when we're here.

I can't say that our lives are perfect but they're wonderful as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't really change a single thing at this point. I think that would just be an absolutely foolish idea. We're good with how things go, why change it?


	20. A House in the Country

Standing side by side, just quiet, staring into the distance of the woods on one side and empty land on the other. Not quite flowering, not quite green hills usually found in the country. This is a growing suburb after all, it's not perfect but it's not so bad. He sighs against my side and I blink, tilting my head to look down at him a moment.

"Penny?" I never have to finish that thought since it usually does get him talking. A penny for his thoughts. He can read mine with a bit of focus but I don't share his gift so asking has always been my only solution. He tends to keep things inside unless he's asked about them, most of the time.

"Do you think we would have been better off in the country?" I frown at his words and I turn, he doesn't follow my lead so I gently snag his shoulders and turn him to face me. I let my outer arm sweep out towards the almost-but-not-quite-country-like look of our surroundings. "I mean, I grew up in the country, this is nothing compared to this. I've always lived in big cities after I moved out to be on my own, after the Olric thing. I don't know why I've been thinking about living in the country. I don't care so long as I have you."

I sigh and pull him to my arms where he presses close and actually sniffles softly. This is going to be one of those days. They're bound to happen. I can't do much for him other than make sure he doesn't sink in too deep into his memories. After living so long, some times, remembering the past is necessary, just so you don't forget anything.

Hugging him tightly for a few more moments, I gently pull away and I lead him back to the door that will take us back down to our apartment. This is a just-Lex-and-Eoghan day. I'm going to have to lock the door and more than likely leave a note for the twins, though I don't think we were expecting them today. Still, never know what they might feel like discovering. Then again they've been relatively sparse since the volcano discovery. I'm sure they're all right.

  


"Now sit and talk." My words are soft but steady, just a little stern. When he drifts into his past, he tends to act a little bit like a child and he needs to be guided. I've been through this with him a handful of time and I'm just hoping I was there when he's needed me.

He sits, staring almost blankly, on the couch and I settle next to him. I tug on his shoulder again just lightly to turn him to face me. I even reach back, snag that tie-dye blanket we both laughed at upon receiving but now use almost daily when it's cold enough and I settle it over his shoulders.

Sighing, he closes his eyes and moves to hold onto the blanket himself. He shakes his head, as if pulling himself away from his thoughts and he struggles to find focus.

"I don't even know what got me started this morning. I was just looking out, the wood is lovely and I know it gets better in the summer but the rest of everything is just so flat and it feels almost lifeless, I guess I was thinking about home, I mean not home here but in the realms." Everywhere in the realms, at least those of his family, is country-like. Little houses, bigger houses, manors and castles depending on the size of the family but there is grass and hills, flowers and forests and fields. My own family realm was different and it's something I don't think about much.

He keeps on talking and I let him, without really saying anything. This is about him, he needs to get these things off his chest, doesn't need me to break in to his trail of thought and get him lost on the way to wherever this trip into his memories is supposed to be leading him to.

We pause after a while when I think he's going to stall and maybe even lose his way. I tuck the blanket a little tighter about him and I briefly head into our kitchen to prepare him a bit of hot tea. It usually soothes him and eases away whatever knots are in his memory, marring the pathway he needs to keep walking on.

  


When evening begins to settle with the sun dipping along the horizon, he's quiet, he's uttered all he had to utter and it all boiled down to little else than he's season sick. He misses everything green. We're just a few weeks away from flowers blooming but I might see about bringing him up to the garden, with Yael's permission.

We've shifted and settled more comfortably, he's leaning back against my chest, the blanket is about the both of us and he's merely breathing, his eyes closed. He's calm and it's all I want. All I honestly want in this world is to make him happy. It took me forever to be able to understand that this was what was most important to me. I need him to be happy. I can control my gift enough and that's all I can do about my own idiocy. Now I just focus on living my life one day following the other, I focus on making sure he's happy and that life goes well. It's all I can do.

He turns his head slightly, shifting to be able to look up at me. "Penny?"

I laugh softly and I simply hug him closer to me. I'd steal a kiss if I wasn't afraid of breaking either of our necks, we're not really settled for that. So I settle for just hugging him to me, feeling his warmth, his breath. 

"I love you." I murmur the words and his eyes soften immediately. He sighs, a sweet, pleased sort of sound and I can't help a gently amused chuckle. I swear at times, all he needs is a heartfelt 'I love you' and his whole day falls into place. On days it's that simple, on others not quite so much.

He turns until he's sitting sideways on my lap and go with the opportunity, I steal a kiss from his lips and he breathes another sweet, absolutely pleased sort of sigh. He nuzzles my shoulder and closes his eyes. I pull the blanket closer, sealing our warmth together. We're both rabbits, this I'm aware of but at times it's not really necessary, we get more than plenty of all we need when we're just settled this way.

"Love you too." He mumbles softly, his words drowsy and I know we're more than likely going to be spending a few hours in this position. I'm just thankful for the more than comfortable couch. I close my eyes and breathe. This is a good place. This is where I belong and I don't want to change that for anything in the world.

I can't make up for all I've done in the past so I just look forward to our future together with no more than a day or two apart at most. We could get a home in the country somewhere but he'd be away from his friends and while he would appreciate the air and the view, he'd be miserable missing everyone. So this is fine for now.


	21. A Law Student

I was one of the first. I studied with the very first people who took it upon themselves to bring justice to the world but thought that a fair trial was a necessity. Every time I pull away from the world so they will not notice how I do not age along with them, I leave behind years of studying. Though when I step back into the 'game' as it is, it mostly is a matter of getting a few of the more recent books, read through them and find someone who will let me pass the necessary exams so that I may be back on the playing field with all the others. Usually I talk about how I'm such and such's grand-son or cousin or something and it helps me along. 

I've made a name for myself over the years, or I suppose I should say, to mortals, that I've made a name for my family. The last name never really changes, the first name does but not as much as it could. 'Oh my parents wanted to celebrate my grandfather so they gave me his name, to honor him.' That one goes through well most of the time and I've never had much of an issue with it. People don't dig much deeper to have more information. It's honestly fine by me.

Law is a gift, it's something I'm good at. I've been at most of the biggest trials this world has seen, at least while I was working law. I've missed a few during my decades or so of being someone else to not seem too suspicious. Do I prefer law to chocolate making? Not really. I actually like the idea of roasting and crushing, molding and whatnot. Though this I haven't done in almost a hundred years. I usually order my chocolate through the people who run the business, people at the source, from those who pick the beans and create chocolate. In small batches I still prepare it from scratch but bigger orders are more difficult.

Both professions have their ups and downs. I suppose I'm glad to have a chance at both.

  


I met Eoghan when I was on a law-break and working chocolate. Back then I still prepared it by hand the old fashioned way. Crushed beans and all. When I told him what I did for a living, he looked as me as if he thought I was absolutely crazy. It took some years to convince him otherwise. Not that it was a need for him to believe me as not absolutely crazy but I felt better once he stopped giving me these looks, as if he thought I might have belonged in a loony-bin.

I'm more than aware that, over the years, I've managed to make the both of us absolutely miserable. I'd leave because I felt that my grasp over my own gift was slipping. When I came back, I'd do all I could to make it all up but after a decade or two I was leaving again. It took me too long to realize it was a terrible way of going about things. I could have lost him permanently at any moment and now I'm grateful that every morning, every time I open my eyes he's there, next to me. He smiles at me, he adores me and loves me. His eyes are open and I can tell just how much his world seems to revolve around me. I'm not even boasting about this, it's just what I see in his eyes.

I'm arrogant, I know I am. I thought I would spend my whole life alone, I thought I was too much of an asshole for anyone to ever take a liking to me. When he first did take a liking to me, I honestly thought he was annoying, just a child in terms of everything I had ever seen. I kept on ignoring him, telling him it was just a passing fancy, a drifting bout of lust. 

It never went away. It was a very slow process. I didn't like letting him near me. At first I almost, just almost imagined him like a child who wanted to learn more about things but it was hard to keep that in mind, he annoyed me to no end. Slowly, over time, I let him in. As I did, I still saw him as too young, too inexperienced. I'd long since set my mind on the fact that love was a foolish notion. Sex was an open game but love was a very, very foolish notion.

He still kept at it.

I don't know what kept him going, I don't know what pushed him or why he didn't give him. Back then I couldn't have cared less but at this very point in my life I'm more than glad he didn't. A life as long as mine has been so far with no affection and only some sex now and again isn't the way to live. Affection, acceptance, love. They're all things that are absolutely important in this life and I've learned to cherish them to no end.

Even after I found myself falling in love with him, I didn't change my routine. I abandoned him for a decade at a time, two at times, because I needed to find myself. I took him for granted, I assumed he would always be there when I came back and I didn't stop to think of how much I was hurting him when I did those foolish things. I only thought of myself, of my own sanity and never of his.

I almost lost him forever. I can't go back in time and change anything but I can work with the future, live one day then the other and make sure to remind him that he's my everything. That without him my life now would have absolutely meaning. I'm not going to abandon him again, I'm not going to leave him to his own devices for more than a day at most. 

A monster is what I used to be and I don't want that anymore, it's just not who I am. He's my most important person, he's that one piece of the puzzle that holds it all together and without him I am nothing. It took me too long to realize this but now I'm not turning back. I'm changing, little by little, trying to better myself because he deserves that much.

He's never once asked me to change, never asked me to not see other people while we were each on our own. I wish he had, it would have made me realize sooner how painful this separation was. I wish I could turn back time, I really do.

  


On some mornings, I might grump at him though it will never be in anger or displeasure, never in unhappiness. I can only be content with my life when I'm with him, happy and pleased. Not all days will be rose petals and perfection but that doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm with him and nothing else will tear me away, I won't let it happen. I need him.


	22. Sick in Bed

Groaning, he rolls over to his other side and pulls his blankets up higher against himself, up to his throat to trap whatever heat might still be present. He doesn't feel the warmth, all he feels is chilled and it is a less than pleasant sensation. When someone steps into his room, he shakes his head and glares moodily at the wall in front of him.

"Stop sulking me, Agni." Mira's voice is soft as he looks down at the bundle that is his brother, the blankets all bunched up around him to form a cocoon. He sighs and shakes his head, setting down a tray of porridge and juice on the night stand.

Agni mutters and even then it's easy to tell his voice is hoarse, his throat hurting. He grumbles again and squeezes his eyes shut. 

"If I still was sharing your bed, I would be sick too and then what? We'd both be miserable and Zora would have had to miss out on work to take care of us. Is that what you want? You want me to be as miserable as you feel right now and you want Zora to be exasperated with us?" Not trying to be harsh, Mira is only trying to talk his brother through the bottled anger he feels, has felt since their sleeping habits have changed. Mira knows there is nothing but time that can be found to fix this. He adores his brother, knows Agni feels the same and will eventually forgive him. It might just take a lot of time.

He can wait.

"Brought you some porridge, sweetened with honey since that's how you tend to like it." He wrinkles his nose slightly and shakes his head, a faint smile to his lips. He personally doesn't much are for honey, would rather have brown sugar to sweeten things when necessary. Honey is too sweet for his taste.

"Go away." Agni's words are rough and he pulls the blanket closer still. Mira sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Suit yourself, Agni. I'm just trying to help you get better but all you can think about is how betrayed you feel because I'm trying to adapt to the life we have now. We can't share this one bedroom forever, even though we grew up this way after we left this family. The memories might be fuzzy but we had our own rooms before!" Not quite angered, just pushed to his limits, Mira walks out of the bedroom and slams the door. He stalks to his own room and once inside he slams that door too.

Agni blinks, startled and slowly unfolds himself from his cocoon to roll over and look towards his door. He knows he has pushed his brother to his limits before but never had he ever had quite this reaction. Mira had never left him before, even when pushed away. He was the glue holding them together.

His eyes filling with tears, Agni curls in on himself again, feeling now miserable both from whatever he was sick with and his brother's departure. It was hardly his fault, Mira was the one who wanted them to be on their own now, Agni had only been trying to show him how wrong it felt and how bad it would turn out. Now he really was on his own.

He tries to sleep, ignoring the slight pangs of hunger. He doesn't want the porridge. It has been made by his brother and his brother is a traitor.

  


The door to the apartment clicks shut and Zora steps back into her home. Her small back of groceries for the day is set down on the counter as she listens to the quiet of the apartment. It had been this peaceful since Mira had decided on having his own bedroom. She couldn't complain, it was actually quite nice.

When she had left in the morning, however, she had been aware that Agni had had himself a fever and had smiled at Mira who had been preparing an easy breakfast. He had told her he would try to take care of his brother best he could so she wouldn't have to stay away from work. When she'd left, the doors had all been opened. Now all were closed and it was as silent as a tomb, except for faint coughing coming from Agni's room.

Sighing, she walks first to Mira's room, knocking before letting herself in. Her brother sits in a little window nook in the wall, his forehead pressed to the window. He looks absolutely miserable. "I've bought you a few more geography books. They're on the counter. Whenever you want to get them. I'll check in on Agni."

Mira shakes his head, a bitter laugh escaping him as he hugs himself as if no one else in the world might ever want to hug him. "He told me to go away so I did. I left him his porridge but he didn't want it. Probably hasn't even touched it. I did my best."

Zora is more than aware that Mira's patience rivals that of the gods. Still, he can only take so much pushing away and his brother has been pushing him away ever since the rooms have been split. She can understand how he might feel, to a slight point. "I love you, Mira. You're part of this family and nothing you can do will ever make me push you away."

He smiles at her weakly and she turns, closing his door but partway. Closed doors are not much to be trusted as far as she cares, open doors means not all is lost.

She moves towards Agni's room and lets herself in without knocking. Her brother is huddled beneath his blankets, the now long since cold porridge is untouched. She rolls her eyes, rounds to the other side of the bed and rests her hand to her brother's forehead. Hot with fever as she expected. 

"You're an idiot." Her words are soft, gently really as she starts to tug blankets off from the slighter youth. He fusses and whines, trying to keep hold of them. His gaze is feverish, it's not overly surprising. "If you hadn't pushed Mira away, you would more than likely be better by now, your fever would be down to near nothing and you'd have food in you. Now we both know I can be gentle as can be but I think you've sulked long enough, it's time for you to understand that no one is doing anything here to spite you. You're getting into the tub and getting a cold bath."

Agni's eyes widen and he fights weakly to keep hold of his blankets though he knows it's absolutely futile.

  


"Sleep sweet, Mira." Zora tucks in her youngest brother gently, she kisses his forehead. The dinner their shared was quiet since she had worn Agni out to exhaustion with all the fighting he did and the cold bath she put him into. At the very least his fever is now down to a more than manageable temperature.

"Don't let your brother's huffing get to you. He's just a little hurt that you've decided to finally have your own room. I know I should have tried to teach you both the benefits of having your own rooms but it was always so much easier to keep you both together. It's my own fault in the long run and we'll work through this together, I promise."

Mira manages the hint of a smile though he sighs and rolls to his side as Mira stands and walks back to the door. She closes it partway once more and steps back outside to check in on the other sibling. Life isn't always easy though it is easier now. She knows that in time, things will settle.


	23. Garden Spirit

Since the 'ghost rooster' incident, things have been quiet on that front in the house. There has been no misplaced items, no lost socks and no more roosters trying to wake them at all hours of the morning. It hadn't lasted long. Too long for most but not quite that long, in the long run. It had changed sleeping patterns around but this was a usual happening in this household where sleep was sought only when it was necessary and not just because certain hours had come to pass.

It hadn't taken long for life to settle back to its routine pace however and that was what was good about this.

Lately, however, Yael has noticed something fluttering through the flowers of his garden. It only seems to drift on by when he's not looking. Something he sees from the corner of his eyes. It often leaves him baffled but not enough to really be worried. His plants are still growing at a marvellous pace and nothing seems to be going wrong, he tries not to worry about it too much.

  


On a quiet morning, as he walks around the garden to check on his lettuce and tomatoes, he notices the leaves of his nearby potato plants drift as if from a breeze but there is no breeze in the garden this morning. The windows had been closed overnight because of the presence of a slightly cold breeze. He stops and stands still, not quite looking at the rustling of the leaves. He knows that whatever is in his garden, or whoever really, is either absolutely shy and timid or very playful. 

The leaves no longer move as he stands still. He sighs and walks forward, settling near his lettuce and tomatoes to look them over. The ground is still moist and the plants are doing well. As he begins to ease back up to his feet, the potato plants find themselves rustling again, with a little more strength than before.

"Now really, I won't harm you, I just want to know who you are, why don't you come out?" His words are calm, called out gently. He can't imagine it being a rat. It would have had to get through the house and he had himself two very good hunters to keep rats and other rodents out. 

He turns just barely, shifting his weight mostly and he plops where he had been settled. He sits and waits. This is something he's tried before without ever any results but he's curious to know who or what his guest might be at this point.

  


After several hours spent unmoving, legs falling asleep and ants beginning their trek through his muscles to tell him he should move, Yael slowly moves back to his feet and waits a few moments for sensations to return before he slowly heads back towards the door to let himself back down to the first floor. 

He could let the cats up to the garden but he doubted they'd find whatever he's been getting glimpses of. They'd probably uproot several of his vegetables and that just couldn't happen. He would just keep on waiting for a glimpse more of whatever it is that has decided to settle up there.

  


"Remember the rooster we all heard but could never find?" Sitting at the kitchen table, pushing his food around slightly in his plate. Not that he's not hungry, just distracted at this point.

Quentin blinks and pushes his mostly empty plate away. "It's hard to forget, it was less than pleasant to wake up to that, really."

Yael laughs softly and shakes his head, he finally manages to take a few more bites of his food before he pushes his plate away as well. 

"I think we have a garden ghost or spirit or something up there. For a while now I've been seeing the leaves rustling left and right and at times I swear I can see things from the corner of my eyes. At first I thought it was a rodent of sort but to get up there they would have had to get in the house first and I don't think Areli or Lavi would have let anything get in that way." He falls quiet again, thoughtful as he really tries to make sense of what he's saying.

A garden spirit could be interesting though he didn't know if they really existed. Maybe it was a fairy. If there were demons, fairies had to exist, right? Maybe he'd ask Alexis about it. The elder demon was bound to have an answer for him, he'd been alive so long. So much he must have seen.

"Well, so long as the garden stays in shape. I know how much work you pour into it and how much it means to you, I wouldn't want all your work tone wasted." Quentin's voice a gentle reminder of what Yael had been worried about at the beginning but after finding no traces of half-eaten food in the garden and nothing that beginning to rot, he had stopped worrying about whatever it was being a danger to his work.

"I don't know, I'd like to think it's a good spirit or something. Everything is growing up nice and strong and I'm just glad for that. I don't know where I would be without this garden." Yael knows that the garden is almost his salvation. It is what keeps him sane and mostly rooted in this apartment. He appreciates the roof over his head but he knows that he might not have stayed permanently if not for the garden. 

Art is an outlet, it brings in extra money but it doesn't really keep him in place. He could do art just about anywhere he might want. Gardening is different, it's in one place, it requires daily looking over to make sure everything was fine and it was more than entertaining. It was a wonderful sort of thing.

"I don't know why, I thought about leaving out some sort of something, I don't know what, out on a small plate in the garden one night. I thought I'd check on it in the morning to see if anything had been eaten. Then I realized that if whatever was up there wanted to eat, there was a world of fruits and vegetables already and I don't know what else I could have offered. Maybe Alexis might have an answer. I don't want to draw it out and get rid of it, I just want to know what we're dealing with." His voice is quiet and thoughtful again.

Quentin chuckles and shrugs before pushing Yael's plate closer to his companion once more. "You can go and talk to Lex tomorrow. For now, you're supposed to eat. You've barely touched your food and you know I worry about you. So if you could at least clean up your plate, I'd be grateful."

He knows he's not asking for much, the plates are small portions, neither one of them eat much. They tend to go back for seconds when what had been on the plate turned out to not be enough, it was how they worked.

Yael rolls his eyes but picks up his fork, a smile quirking at his lips. "Sure, sure, I'll eat. Don't want you fussing and fretting about me when you could be busy with other things, like not fussing about me."

He teases gently but both of them know there is no harm meant by the words at all. It is the playful banter of lovers.


	24. Privacy

The voices are softer still. The more I work on controlling them, the softer they get. I still can't get away from wearing the bracelet though I'm honestly not even trying that. I just want to learn to control this so called gift. I think it's honestly a nightmare more than anything else but Eoghan calls it a gift and I'd like to believe him. Maybe, once I know how to control it a lot better than I do now, I'll be able to do the opposite of what I'm struggling with right now. I might be able to reach out into the mind of others. I'm aware this is more than likely an invasion of privacy but really, it's not like I'd do it for fun. It's hard enough to keep the voices out anyway.

I like my life to be private. I've opened up to Eoghan a lot more about my life than I have to anyone else before, even most of my family. Then again, they've left me behind. They pretty much abandoned me years ago. I was kicked out of the family home when I was barely eighteen, I'd found myself a job, it was a small thing, but my parents assumed that since I had a job, I could find an apartment and I was promptly kicked out.

At least I didn't have much to my name then so it made it easy to gather my things in a couple of suitcases, I left the rest behind. I didn't go looking for an apartment right away, I'd just gotten done registering myself for university and I knew the dorms would do me just fine. My job wasn't far off, it was just a few hours and I knew I had a scholarship waiting for me. That would pay for the learning part, my small job kept me busy in the hours I wasn't in class or studying and it paid for the rest. I was mostly settled on that point.

Life hasn't always been easy but I've managed to make my way along the world to this point.

  


I feel something push against my mind, I'd just been partly drowsing, the book forgotten on my lap, blankets up to my waist and my pyjama top undone. It's almost warm enough to go without though not yet. I frown at the pressure I feel in my mind and I close my eyes. My fingers curl against the bracelet I've never taken off for more than a few minutes at a time and I focus. The presence is insistent. I know Eoghan has this gift too and I briefly wonder if it's him, then I shake my head. He promised he wouldn't do this kind of thing to me. I told him about how much I valued my privacy and he said he never would do this unless I gave him permission.

The pushing, almost digging continues and I squeeze my eyes more tightly shut. I focus to the best of my ability as I try to build a wall in my head. Eoghan's first exercises had been about closing windows to shut voices out but I've been working on building up walls in my head. It's exhausting but usually it keeps the voices out even more. I build this mental wall as high as I can around my brain and after a few minutes of struggling to keep it up, I feel the presence diminish then vanish. I'll have to bring it up to Eoghan. He might know something about it.

When I'm sure my mind is free of it's almost invaded privacy, I drop the wall I had built and I collapse back against my pillow. I hadn't noticed how stiff-backed I'd gotten while trying to keep my mind to myself. I can't help but wonder. Before Eoghan woke this gift up in me—accidentally or not—could I have known if others had tried to poke into my brain, try to find private information about me? It makes me worry but in a way I'm glad for this gift now, if it means I know when someone might try to poke in places they're not supposed to. The voices are just one of those things I have to work on.

Having felt what I just did though, it makes me rethink this idea of maybe prodding at other people's minds. I don't want my thoughts to be invaded, I'm sure no one else would want theirs invaded either. I'll just work on keeping people out. Eoghan can teach me anything else he wants but I won't pry into minds, it's not right.

Rolling over to my side, I slide down deeper between my blankets. The warmth of them brings a sigh to my lips and I close my eyes. The voices are still present when I try to drift to sleep, I don't know if they're there when I dream, I tend to not recall my dream. They've gotten so soft however and I've gotten better at relaxing and forgetting them that drifting to sleep comes easy enough. I just seek a dark corner in my mind and I settle there, feeling peace and quiet settle over my mind.

  


As the first rays of morning begin to seep into my sleeping mind, I roll over with a sigh and I settle back onto my other side. I don't usually have days off, the library is open seven days a week so I just appreciate some rest when I can. It is closed today, however, there has been some water damage done from a leak somewhere near the doorways and front desk and my boss knows I can't come in while the cleaning team fixes that.

I almost lost my job last time. I had the cleaning all done and the books back where they belonged, a week before he'd told me to be done with it and when he came, looking smug and expecting the place still to be torn apart, he was in for a surprise. He yelled at me for no clear reason, told me that however I had managed to clean this up, I could never manage a second time and that I was lucky to still have my job, that I shouldn't have let the vandals come in the first time.

Let the vandals come in? I nearly laughed in his face at that one. I'd finished my work for the day, I had locked all the doors and checked all the windows, the vandals had come in at night through one of said windows, I don't know how he expected it to be my fault and how I'd somehow let them in. It made no sense whatsoever.

Still I kept my job, just barely. I know he wants to see me gone but I'm pretty sure he doesn't actually have anyone to take on the job once I'm gone. I don't know what he hates more. The library or the work I do there. I think it's honestly pathetic, really. Still, I love this job, boss aside. I'm surrounded by books, they're my one true passion. 

Books don't judge you, don't sneer at you and don't talk back. They don't invade your mind because they feel like it. You read them, get lost in their words and learn new things. That's what books are about.


	25. Cantankerous Old __________

There is not an inch of quiet in the overly large building. People are chattering together, exchanging things, bargaining prices and buying goods. Near the door, a single, tall man stands as he surveys all the souls wandering back and forth. There barely is enough room between the stalls and people to walk anywhere without bumping shoulders. He hasn't set foot in a flea market, a _marché aux puces_ in nearly a century. There always has been too many people for his comfort.

It was the best place to find what he was looking for.

Breathing a soft sigh, Alexis pushes himself away from the door and starts to make his way through the crowds. He knows this is one of the reasons why Eoghan will never set food in this place. His control over his gift is near perfect, really, but so many people all so close to one another under a single, large roof would put anyone's mind-speaking gift to the test. He didn't want to chance it.

He had almost invited Yael to come but had decided against the idea at the last moment. He did want the young man to discover these things but he wanted to be in and out of this particular market as fast as he could manage. It was the one closest to their home and it would do but he didn't much care for it. Now for the _brocantes_ in Belgium, those were better as far as he cared.

"Where am I ever going to find what he wants in this place?" He looks up to the ceiling for a moment and then back down to the crowd as he slowly walks his way through, looking at vendors as he goes. The last flea market he had visited had had signs up, hanging from the ceiling. Then again, it was also a case of semi-permanent setup where vendors had their spots and no one else really could take them unless payments weren't done on time.

This place is different, it looks more like a case of first come first serve. Still, he's heard from one of his commissioner that what he's looking for is sold by an old man who has a tendency for arguing over the simplest of things. Something else he isn't looking forward to.

  


After a couple of hours of wandering, almost ready to give up, Alexis finally spots what he's been looking for. An old, tall lamp, seeming to be from back in the Victorian era. A beautiful lamp with its bronze body, wide, steady foot and gorgeous etched glass shade hanging from an 'arm'. Eoghan had mentioned wanting an antique lamp for his small writing room where he'd recently decided he would write: books and stories. Invent things for the pleasure of others. His room was already set up with an old writing desk, a gorgeous old George III tambour fronted one.

Approaching the stall, Alexis looks the old lamp over, making sure it really was what it was looking to be. It could be a copy, could be the furthest thing from an original but he can see no sign of this one being anything other than the real deal. He approaches the old man and clears his throat. The old man keeps his eyes on his newspaper, reading it and Alexis has to wonder why he's here at all if he's going to not be paying attention to potential customers, especially with the antiques he's selling, those might just fetch a very fair price.

Alexis clears his throat again and still the man ignores him. He breathes in and out to keep his calm and then sighs.

"Much as I want to spend all day here waiting for you to look my way, I would honestly rather not. So either you tell me how much this lamp is worth so I can pay you and be on my way or I'll be happy to just take it off your hand, no fees attached." His words are calm and smooth still, no sign of anger to them.

They do get the attention of the man who puts his newspaper, looks at the lamp then back up to his potential buyer. He eyes the clean look of the man, the lamp again and he shrugs.

"Two thousand dollars."

Alexis quirks a brow, looks the lamp slowly over again. Beautiful yes, but he knows he can get one delivered that looks almost the same for a quarter of that price in most places. "I'm not paying more than five hundred for this."

"Two thousand dollars." The man's voice is rough, either from age or who knows, smoking too long, maybe. He looks at the lamp again and crosses his arms over his chest. Alexis sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. This was going to be one very long moment of his life.

  


Almost an hour later, he steps back out of the building, empty handed. He rubs his temple and shakes his head as he breathes in the still crisp and fresh air of spring. He heads back towards his vehicle, just glad he hadn't brought Eoghan or Yael with him for this. The man had arguing long and loud and hadn't budged at all on the price. It wouldn't have been much out of Alexis's pocket but just for the man's attitude, it hadn't been worth it. He'd look online to find better.

Once home, he eases from the car and heads back up to the third floor where he knows Eoghan is waiting for him. He expects disappointment since he had promised he would be coming back with a lamp for him but some things cannot be helped.

As the elevator doors open to their floor, he steps out and meets the eyes of his lover who look him over in confusion. He frowns softly and cants his head briefly. Alexis lifts one hand in a 'give me a moment to come home, please' motion and Eoghan steps up to help him with his coat. He seems more worried about the worn look on his lover's face than anything else.

"I did find you a gorgeous lamp, I thought it would have been perfect, but the older geezer who was selling it wouldn't let it go under a pretty outrageous price. I'm pretty sure it was just made recently but based on the old Victorian styles. He wouldn't stop arguing, I swear it was like trying to have a discussion with a crusty, cantankerous old bastard. I'm sorry, I know I promised by my head is pounding and we'll look online, it'll be less hassle."

He pauses and sighs, managing a small, tiny little smile to his lover who leads him wordlessly towards their bedroom. The frown is gone, replaced by gentle worry and understanding.

"I'm glad you didn't come with me. It was so loud in there, I don't like the _marché aux puces_ here. At least this one, it felt so disorganized. If we go to Belgium on vacation eventually, I'll take you to the one placed I went way back then. I assume it has changed over the past century but still."

Eoghan is quiet, merely helping his lover undress, listening to him talk and marvelling still at the fact that he no longer has to share this man with anyone else.

"We still have plenty of time to figure things out, I'm in no rush for extra decoration in the room, the desk on its own is gorgeous and I have the window. Now let's settle you in bed and let's rest for a while, see if the room's quiet can't help with the headache."

Alexis laughs softly and climbs into bed, he settles and opens his arms. Eoghan wastes no time settling into those very arm with a content sigh. He might not have a lamp to add to his working room but he has his lover and that's more than enough for him.


	26. Jewellery

"Jewellery?"

I nod and he looks me over, as if he's trying to make sure I'm not ill or coming down with something. I smile wryly and shrug. It's been on my mind for a while, since that one last portrait that made me so uncomfortable to work with.

"I know you probably think it's sudden, Quentin, but I swear it's not. With jewellery, I don't have to look at anyone's portrait and feel uncomfortable while I work. I know I have no prior experience but it is art in its own way, I bet I can try my hand at a few different things and see how it all comes out. I mean, we did essentially work on jewellery while we were preparing Alexis's gift for Eoghan."

He knows I have a point. It's not quite the same thing but he nods and finally he hugs me. I laugh and close my eyes, pressing against him for a few moments before I straighten with a sigh. This is a good idea, I'm sure it is.

My paintings still sell but it takes forever for me to get into the mood to do them. I've closed down commissions nearly a week ago already because I couldn't manage anything without feeling like I was forcing it and forcing art does not result in beautiful art. At least not with me. The last piece I painted looked like garbage and I refunded my commissioner because I didn't want her to have this in her home, it didn't feel right.

Making jewellery is just one of those things, I know there is a world of discovery out there for me to make. I could be making things with metal wire and stones, like trees of life, I could be making rings, bracelets, earrings. I could be making things with chain maille. There is a world out there for things like these. Jewellery is just one thing, I thought maybe if I didn't do so well with that I could make other things. I could sculpt. Little or larger fantasy pieces out of clay, I think I might like to work with clay. Dragons and faeries and unicorns and a whole world of 'beasties' that don't exist in this world.

  


Quentin supports me no matter my choices in life. He knows I'm just trying to find myself. Trying to find something for me to do that will not lose its charm after a little while. I can't really get my name out there, so to speak, if I keep on starting up businesses and then closing down because I lose interest in what I'm doing. I still love doing art, this is just different.

Considering how many different type of things the term jewellery entails, we wander about, buying magazines, looking at things and taking notes. There is a sort of fair, a 'con' they call it and I'm not sure what it stands for, where folks who make jewellery from nearly all over the place will be. I think it's the best place to start to discover if I might have a knack for this kind of thing.

It takes a lot of work to persuade Quentin to come with me. I know he doesn't like to be surrounded by too many folks and this 'con' thing sounds like it will have many, many people. Still, a bit of puppy-eyes and some arguing about how it will help me find my way in life and he grudgingly accepts to come with me.

  


It seems that 'con' is short for convention. It makes sense, people come from far away to be here. They set up booths, they sell things, they discuss their skills. People wander around, ooh'ing and aah'ing at everything they see. This is so strange, it's so different. There is so much to look at that I don't even know where to start. Quentin keeps close to my side and I keep a strong, steady hold over his hand. I think it's the only thing keeping him from trying to rip people's heads off, especially the folks who keep on bumping into him.

I gently remind him that this is inevitable, there is a lot of people and we just have to focus on what we're looking at. He makes me blush deeply as he tells me all he's looking at is me. 

It has been a few hours of wandering already and I suppose we deserve a break so I try to find ourselves a quiet little spot so that we can share some quiet affection and just stay away from the crowds for a bit of time. We settle out of the way just out of the large building. We have our jackets with us but the sun is almost hot and the day is warm. Not enough to go without but that's just a detail. We settle near the nook of a tree and rest for almost an hour.

I know it's better to not push too hard too fast, he's doing all he can to make sure I can enjoy my day and I don't want him to 'burn out' in the presence of all these people. He's more important to me than the idea of starting up with a new sort of passion, after all.

After the almost hour spent just settled side by side by the tree, we go back inside. We look through several more booths, I pick up little bits of this and that, more curious to figure out how they're made than because I want to wear any of it. 

The idea is not to copy these artists, of course. I have no better way of learning than by looking and taking apart, however. That way, my own personal muse can pipe up and show me something I can do with my hands that will be interesting and might be of interest to the general populace.

  


On the walk home, Quentin breathes calmly, he sighs and I know this has been a stressful sort of day for him. At least I didn't ask him to come by again the following day since this is something of a two or three day 'con'. One day is enough for me. I have a small bag of goodies to look through and discover more about.

I squeeze his hand as he climb into the bus and settle near the back where it's quieter at that point. He sits next to me and we merely settle into peaceful silence once more. We hold hand, watch building drift on by and I know I'm thinking about how the day has been more than interesting, it has been a learning experience. I don't know what's going on in his mind but he doesn't look too stressed out, he doesn't look like he wants to maim anyone so I breathe a quiet little sigh of contentment. 

Today has been a good day. A day of discovery and a day of being out and about in the public. I suppose I'm a bit of a people's person though just slightly. I like my quiet and my peace, it's just that at times, being out and about, surrounded by others, isn't such a bad thing.


	27. More Than Expected

His container-library was finally completed. That and the pool had been the last two bits of undone work that still had been about their perfect—at least to him—home. He had told Eoghan about it just a couple of weeks back after the workers had been working on placing the containers just so, had cut out openings, polished things, began to stack them and the right. The younger demon had been curious and Alexis had felt no need to keep the truth from him any longer.

Now, as he stood in the entrance of the final home for his books, at least for now, until they moved back into the realm, he looked at all the boxes sitting along rows upon rows of shelves and he tried to recall just how many books were in his collection. The small pathway between the boxes was slight at this point, he barely fit and he knew he couldn't really ask for help from the others just then. Though perhaps Armin could be of some help, the man had knowledge of books that was more in-depth than anyone else in the household. He worried somewhat that the man might not be able to manoeuvre his way around with the way the boxes were set up, however.

Shaking his head, Alexis slowly made his way up to the third floor of the little library. There really were more boxes of books than he recalled or had expected. He knew he hadn't been in some of his summer homes in some time, he just hadn't recalled the sheer number of books there were in all. He hoped the current setup would be enough.

Up on the third floor, as he had requested, there was a little reading nook. The three walls of the nook were glass with integrated blinds so it would only take the press of a button to block out the sun just so, to be able to read comfortable. Several thickly cushioned chairs were settled near the 'walls' and he smiled, pleased with the way things were set up.

He turned around, looked at the boxes and breathed a slight sigh. This would be a lot of work but he knew it would be worth it. So many books to rediscover.

  


The sun had been just rising above the horizon when he first had set foot into his new, remodelled world. Now, as it began to dip over the horizon once more, he heard someone step into his little—not so little, really as it was three containers wide at the bottom, two on the second floor and one at the top—library. About half of his books were unpacked and he was glad for his sense of organization and the fact that he kept his books in collections. From one summer home he found nearly all of his fantasy themed books, in from another his science fiction and another the essays. He didn't have to go back and forth between the floors to place things in certain places, it was wonderful.

"Lex?" Eoghan's voice echoed softly from the first floor and Alexis put away the final books in the boxes that had been on the second floor. The second and third floor were done, the hallways were clear, the shelves were packed.

"Up on the second floor, be careful, there's not much room to wander by, I'll be down in a second." He didn't hear any other sounds then, no sounds of steps coming his way and he was thankful. He didn't want to chance boxes tumbling and hurting anyone.

Slowly he started his way back down. Every box as it had been unpacked had been taken apart, flattened and those he brought with him. He had a slight shed at the back of the library where those would go, in case. After all, they would need packed again before they moved into the realm, most likely.

"I think I might not have enough room, this is insane. I thought with six containers I'd have enough room but I have more boxes down here than I did up the other two floors and those are filled, there's no more room in these shelves." He shook his head, really surprised at just how many books he had acquired over the span of his life at that point.

Eoghan, laughing softly, looked at the boxes that he could see and carefully stepped out to allow his lover to step back outside with the flattened ones. "Well my home in the realm has this huge library with all the room you will ever want. It's essentially empty just now and it makes me sad when I think about it. Every book the family has ever owned was burned. I promise this will not happen with yours."

Alexis, stepping outside and rounding to the back of the building to the shed, put the boxes away and closed the door, clicking it locked for its own safety. "I know all of these books deserve to be in a real library but I'd like to think I've honestly done a really nice job of this place."

It did look like a modern sort of library though he preferred the old fashioned kind with its ladders to get to upper-shelved books and murals and antique look. This did the job for the time being, for however long they would be staying in this realm. Plus it was solid and comfortable.

"I think it looks beautiful, Lex. This is gorgeous and I'm sure that once all the books are away and Armin discovers this place, he might never want to go back to work." Laughing, Eoghan sets his arm through his lover's own and leads him back towards their own home, just a few yards away. Into the building itself and then towards the staircase. He could have taken the elevator but he still was young and more than healthy, it felt good to take the stairs.

"I was thinking about him, how I could have asked him for help in making sure the books were all set out properly but then I looked at the mess of boxes and how they were stacked and I told myself I didn't want to chance his getting hurt so I've done it myself. Thankfully the boxes are by genre at this point with a few rare exception, it helps. Tomorrow I'll get back to it, I should be done for the day after, I think."

  


Once inside their home, Alexis stretched, his arms high above his head and he sighed as something popped along his back.

"I bet you haven't eaten anything all day." Eoghan's voice a mock-reprimand as he disappeared into the kitchen. Alexis smiled sheepishly and shrugged as he followed, knowing he should have stopped and eaten something during his day. At least he had had water on hand so it was better than nothing.

"I was so focused on unpacking and making sure the books were all right that it slipped my mind, I'm sorry." Honestly apologetic, he settled at the counter, a sheepish smile still to his lips as Eoghan put a bowl of steaming soup in front of him.

"Appetizer, then we eat dinner and then I get my breakfast and you better not disappoint."

Alexis laughed but nodded, lips settled into a pleased smile. Of course he wouldn't disappoint, he never disappointed when it came to dessert. "I solemnly swear to not disappoint you, love of my life and keeper of my sun."

Eoghan, blushing deeply, stuck out his tongue and set out another bowl of steaming soup before he was rounding the counter to settle next to his life partner, his lover. He bumped elbows gently and sat with a sigh. His life still was going absolutely well. He couldn't complain.


	28. At The Top

"First one who reaches the top decides what we eat for dinner!" Zora offered the words to her brothers who were looking the semi-steep hill over. "I'm heading up and I'll call out, when I do, you two start going."

It was something of a mock obstacle course, it was outside, all nature-made and the weather was nice enough to afford this friendly sort of race. Her brothers had just barely begun to spend time together again after Mira had decided that it was time for them to stop sharing a room. She knew they needed the exercise. Since they had found—though it had been offered more than they had found it—a way to have a permanent roof over their heads, they had stopped their almost constant wandering. 

While on the streets, they had always gone from one place to the other, energy had been spent walking and at times jogging to get to places before they closed. She had a feeling that exercise was one of those things that was necessary now. The extra energy her brothers had seemed to leave them antsy, it wasn't a good thing. She couldn't help but wonder if that wasn't at the source of their disagreement and subsequent ignoring of one another after the room change.

Once at the top, she looked down to her brothers. They still were looking the area over and her lips quirked slightly. This brought back memories. On hot summer days she did bring them to parks and to the hills for much needed outings, exercises, running around like the kids they had been. She waved her arms and their attention turned to her. She nodded to herself.

"THREE!" She had to scream to be sure they heard her, they were quite a distance off.

"TWO!" They were changing their position, moving just so, getting ready for the run. This would do them good.

"ONE!" Almost now, they looked at one another and she wondered if they weren't playfully teasing one another. Agni had always been the one to win these races before but it had been some time since the last one so maybe things had changed.

"GO!" She called out, waving her arms to get them going and they started on their way up the hill.

  


What she was glad about, was that there was no shoving, no pushing. She had seen kids run up this hill before, they always pushed and shoved, tried to get to the top in ways that seemed absolutely unfair to her. Not her brothers though, no, they just focused on the run, barely even noticing one another.

Halfway up however, Mira tripped and she was certain Agni would ignore him, keep on going. Much to her surprise and pleasure, the eldest stopped, helped his brother back up and checked him over briefly. They ran side by side for a few moments before Agni was pushing harder once more and he took the lead. It only lasted moments before Mira was gaining back on his brother. He was still holding back, as if waiting for the last moment before he really pushed himself hard.

  


Zora wasn't much worried about which of her brothers would win. In either case, dinner was bound to either be pizza or maybe Thai. Sushi maybe depending if they felt adventurous. Agni was more likely to ask for pizza or even Thai if he really felt like it. Mira seemed to be more curious about learning from other cultures, sushi was not uncommon in his discussions, as well as foods from different places around the world. It wasn't always easy to find a place that sold what he wanted to eat. Most of the times they had to hit the market to find the necessary ingredients and made it at home. It was easier.

As they came to the last stretch, as she had suspected, Mira pushed harder, he had fallen behind a slight distance from his brother but now he gained back, settled shoulder to shoulder and pushed even harder on that last length and made it ahead of Agni. It was Mira who came to the tree at the top of the hill first. He collapsed against it with a tired but pleased laugh. Just seconds later, Agni almost collapsed over his brother and Zora could only smile down at them both.

Out of her pack, she pulled two bottles of water and handed them over to her almost tangled siblings. Both were chuckling softly but not moving to free themselves. This was a good sign and she could only hope that things would continue going this way.

"So what are we having for dinner tonight, Mira?"

The brothers went quiet, Agni looking down to his sibling briefly before he was working on untangling himself carefully. He flopped down next to his sibling and took a long sip of his water as Mira grew thoughtful. He canted his head this way and that before his face brightened and he looked up towards his sister with a grin.

"Cajun!"

"Cajun it is. Whenever you two feel ready to head back down the hill." 

Both brothers groaned as they looked down the way they'd come and shook their heads. Zora laughed and rolled her eyes slightly. "You two are absolutely out of shape, I'm going to have to get you both to run more from today on. We'll go for walks every day, just around a couple of blocks to start with. We've been stationary for a while, I think it's time to start walking again. At least now we have somewhere to call home and I have a job and money, life is settling."

  


It took an hour more before the twins found it in themselves to get back up and start the trek down the hill. Not so much that they had needed that long but the view from the top still was beautiful, nothing could really take away from that. Finally however, each with a small snack in hand, they started on the way back down. It was a slow descent with little talking but the air was clear, there was no tension between the twins. Zora could only breathe a soft sigh of relief.

"Now, you said Cajun, that's a wide enough range of things, have any detailed idea in mind?" She broke the peaceful silence, figuring that getting the details out of he brother now was best. At least that way it would be easier to head out and get the missing ingredients instead of heading home, finding out what those ingredients were and heading back out again.

Shrugging, Mira cants his head again, thoughtful. Agni, much to Zora's delight, takes his brother's hand, mostly to lead him down the safe path since thinking Miras tended to not really look where they were going.

"I guess we could try to make some fried crawfish remoulade and some fried oyster po' boys and maybe have ourselves some New Orleans banana split for dessert?" 

Zora could only quirk a brow, this was more detailed than she'd figured, really. Still she chuckled softly and nodded. "I guess we can do all that. I bet those are all recipes you've found recently and you don't know the ingredients by heart, mm?" Blushing, Mira shrugs and eases a step closer to his sibling. "Did find them recently, I got them printed out and put in my book of recipes. Sorry we have to go back home. I know you probably wanted to get the missing ingredients out here before heading home."

Laughing softly, Zora shook her head and shrugged herself. "I think we have most of the main ingredient home, what we don't have we can substitute. So let's get these crawfish and oysters and the rest. You can fill me in on what you recall of your recipes so we can find what we might be missing, okay?"

Brightening, Mira nodded. This was going to be a wonderful dinner of discovery. He had honestly gotten the idea from the weekly dinner they all shared, now at Alexis's and Eoghan's place. It was fun to discover new places in the world through their foods.


	29. Child of Mine

Lounging in bed is a rare opportunity for us. We're both early risers and we tend to believe that we get the most out of our days if we don't lazy about too much in the earlier hours. We tend to catch up in the evenings, when we go to bed. Today is different and I'm not sure why, else than he's finally done putting away all of the books in our private little (not so little!) library just out back, I've done all the paperwork I needed for the next couple of weeks. There are no commissions waiting for him and no work for either of us if we look at the grand scheme of life. It's good enough.

I know he's not asleep. His breathing is almost regular, slow paced, even but it isn't quite. I can tell when he's deeply lost in his thoughts and this is one of those moments. I don't mind, I can appreciate just spending time nestled up against him, resting, not quite asleep myself. It's beautifully peaceful and I couldn't really ask for anything else. I sigh softly and he finally blinks, looking away from the ceiling where he was staring off and partly down to me.

"Have you ever wanted children?"

His words startle the peacefulness out of my veins and I blink up at him, shifting to actually lean partly away from him, resting on my elbow. I study his face for a moment as I try to make sense of what he's asked me and why now at all.

"I don't think it ever really crossed my mind, Lex. I mean, I know with a good teacher, my gift can be controlled but I don't know that I could bring myself to bring a child into this world knowing I would have to teach him or her the controls, that I would have to see them suffer for a while until they did learn to control this gift." 

He cants his head, looks back up towards the ceiling and nods, as if to confirm what he'd been thinking about. I'm not sure honestly. I'm a little surprised by this conversation.

"So you have thought about children and what it might be like, you're just not sure you'd be able to handle them suffering to a point and honestly that's true for most of us with destructive or very powerful gifts. I don't know why it crossed my mind today. I guess it's that woman I delivered the commission piece to yesterday. She had at least three kids running around her house and she was big, I'm pretty sure she'll manage that birthday party she had scheduled for today but then she's going to pop and I'm pretty sure there wasn't just one bun in her oven."

I blink again at him and I can't help a soft laugh. I suppose that dealing with a heavily pregnant woman who already had kids around could bring the thought of kids to anyone's mind, even if just to speculate about. I flop down, going nearly limp against him with another soft laugh and I shake my head.

"Lex, you're it for me. I know that we're not eternal but we're just about. I'm sure I'd love the chance to raise kids one of these days if I wasn't absolutely terrified of seeing them suffer because of the gift I'd hand down to them-"

"You don't know for a fact it's your gift they would have, you have to consider the gift of whoever would be carrying these kids, they might have hers, instead."

"Don't get my started on that. What little memories I have of my parents are fights about how gifts had to stay in the family. They would have turned their nose at the Bachchan trio. Though they're all elemental so it might have slipped but imagine for all of a second if you were a woman, they wouldn't have let me be with you. You would have left a huge taint on our gift and they didn't want that." I roll my eyes, nuzzling against his shoulder as I do so.

"Well your parents are, or were in any case, bigots. I don't remember what mind might have said and it doesn't matter. I don't know why the idea of kids is stuck in my brain right now but think about it. Maybe, just maybe one of these days we might find a surrogate. We both could donate a little of ourselves. It would be one very chaotic gift but I think we could handle it."

I suck in a breath, straight again and look down at him once more. His eyes are serious, there's not a hint of teasing in his eyes and my heart speeds up a little. He's actually given this a lot more thought than I first had imagined. A little us running about? Maybe, I don't know. The idea honestly scares the hell out of me.

"Even if we found a surrogate, there are chances neither one of our gift would take and hers would."

"There always are those of us who aren't gifted. Demons without any of the extra power. It might not be a bad thing. Or we could find a human surrogate."

"That would dilute out blood, I don't know what the lifespans of half-blood are." As I utter those words, all I see is Armin, there is more than likely no more than a quarter of demon blood in his veins. I honestly really like the guy. He's honest and all he wants is to be appreciated, to be seen as a normal human being. I don't know when he'll die but I know it will hurt when it happens. I want him to stay with us. We might find means to enhance his life a bit.

"Thinking about Armin?"

His words startle me out of my half-daze and I smile at him somewhat sheepishly. I shrug, sigh and settle back down against his shoulder. He pulls me up against his side and I'm aware that things are about to go to a very, very different direction. I don't mind. He's now planted the seed of having children in my mind and it's not going to be forgotten. I'm in no rush but I admit that it might not honestly be a bad idea.

  


Finally getting out of bed, he swats playfully at my ass and I laugh, swatting his hand away. The thought of children has faded, not enough to be forgotten but I've put it into a box. Now and again I open different boxes, revisit them and check to see what my thought is on the subject that was put in there by then.

We shower together, not so much to conserve water, just because we can and it leads to even more time spent together and even more pleasure shared. We dry up, dress and head into the kitchen to see about getting ourselves something to eat. I know Adela will be fine without us looking in on her today, she's had her meal last night before we went to bed.

I think we're going to go out. Take a long walk, or even take the car and head off out of the city for a few hours. Maybe even just out to port where we'll slip onto the yacht and take to the waters for most of the day. I know Armin isn't expecting me so I really have all of my day to myself. I can't say no to something like that.

We've both been so busy lately with the new house, the new set up, commissions, work and friends that we haven't really had a whole day of just us together with no one else to really bother us. I know we'll make the most of it. We very well could have made the most of it by not getting out of bed at all but at times a little outside fun is just as pleasant.

Today is going to be a good day.


	30. Rabig Dog

The dog on screen is a sight to behold, foam at the mouth, blood from its previous victim as he rounds up the car, the woman sitting inside looking absolutely terrified as she know she has no where else to go, the movie is an old one but it is a classic for anyone who might appreciate the author behind the book that led to this movie.

"He's rabid." One little voice whispers in the dark movie room. There are eight people in this room, sitting in two rows of movie-theatre comfortable seats with leg-rest, arm rest and cup holder. 

The movie is projected onto the wide wall, the image clear as can be in the pitch black (except for the slight light telling folks where the door leading to the rest of the apartment is) room. There is room for a dozen or so people in this homemade movie theatre room. The sound is all around them and movies could be played in 3D if it was required or requested by the viewers.

"Rabid dogs don't go on that kind of rampage." Another soft voice answers from the back row. "Now shush."

There is a soft chuckle to the left of the shushing person and Eoghan, who had shushed either one of the twins, he couldn't tell which, swatted lightly, playfully really, at Alexis's hand.

  


Their routine had changed just barely over the last two weeks. Dinner was still shared one night a week, a new theme every time but now that the movie room was ready with its comfortable seats, its speaker set up and the rest, they had decided that dinner night would end with a movie. It wasn't such a bad idea. All but two of the souls seated within these plush seats lived in the building, it only meant going down one floor or two before they were home. The last two were just in the building across so it really didn't require much more effort to get home.

Deciding on which movie it was going to be had been an interesting sort of moment. Eoghan's collection of movies was ever growing, he tended to get new ones as they came out and ripped them onto one of his hard drives. He had one specially set up for movies and it stayed in the movie room. It wasn't connected to anything other than the player.

  
__

"You're going to give them nightmares and I'm the one who's going to have to stay awake all night while they toss and turn, waking up screaming."

"Zora, if they've never seen horror movies before, there's a start to everything and this isn't the worst one of them all. Plus, it's the one they picked, I figured they deserve to at least get to decide once. It's what they want."

"If they have nightmares I'm blaming you. I have to be up early tomorrow morning!"

"Look, if it makes you feel any better we can set out mattresses here in this room, there's plenty of space and they can sleep here tonight and you'll have some peace."

"Hmph! You're just looking to scare them, that's all you're doing."

"Zora, this movie is the one they picked, they looked at the preview, they read the description and it's what they wanted. Personally I would have started with The Langoliers but they preferred Cujo."

Huffing, she'd thrown her hands in the air and stalked back out of the movie room and into the living room then the dining room. She disappeared out of the apartment together, almost slamming the door but she came back fifteen minutes later with two sleep over bags. Alexis had looked confused as can be but Eoghan had only shaken his head with a shrug. The woman still didn't fully trust them. He supposed he didn't really blame her for it. Still.

  


Just outside the room, two air mattresses are still rolled securely closed, beside them two pillows and two overnight bags. Her brother's first sleep over, they are just a floor up but it will be interesting and she can't help but wonder just how well she will actually sleep without them about. Not that she's worried. Usually they sleep with their doors mostly closed and it is silent in the apartment, she can't even really hear them breathing. It won't be all that different.

"Oh wow, that poor dog." Still just a little voice speaking from somewhere up in the front row. There is a snicker from the back row, Alexis more than likely and another little swat and a mock-hurt 'ow!' breathed before the room is silence once more as the movie moves on towards its climax.

  


"Now you two behave, don't cause them any trouble. The door is going to be unlocked in the morning. I have to work early so I won't be about when you both come back down." Zora's words steady as she looks at her two brothers. They look at her a moment then look down to the overnight bags that had been brought up. This is not something they had discussed and they are somewhat confused by the idea but they have no reason to complain and simply nod with a smile.

Rolling her eyes again, she turns and heads out of the apartment and down one floor to her own where she prepares to sleep. This was a new experience for her, a movie, any kind of movie but she knows that following the horrors she has seen growing up, this will hardly be an issue and won't really keep her awake, there are no reasons for it to keep her away.

Back one floor up, the twins look down to the overnight bags once more and then blink up to Eoghan who chuckles gently.

"Zora was afraid that the movie might give you both nightmares. She didn't feel comfortable with the idea of having to stay awake all night to watch over you both since she had to be up early. I offered to let you both sleep here. Now we have one guest room and I've heard that you've started to sleep in your own rooms so I thought it might not do. So we have air mattresses and we'll set them up in the movie room. It's where you'll have the most floor space and where you'll be most comfortable. I promise the mattresses are very comfortable."

Nodding, the twins set themselves up in the movie room, better able to see things now that the lights were on. They each set up their mattress and make their beds with the offered bedding. Thick flannel sheets and blankets. For the sake of comfort, they set themselves on either end of the room, not quite aware yet that morning would find them with the mattresses pushed together.

Of course, after a first ever horror movie of the sort, nightmares were bound to pop up and it always is easier to find comfort and better sleep with someone close, someone to keep them safe from the little sounds that can be heard in a house at night.

At least they have made up enough to share this kind of sleep. They may now have their own room but Agni seems to have forgiven Mira for what he had seen as betrayal. They share books, have discussions about things that fascinate them both. They are growing up and adapting to the world that surrounds them.


End file.
